Courage
by SumikotheGREAT
Summary: "She watched him walk ahead of her, the wounds that had once pocked his skin no longer visible. He looked vital again. He looked like her god. Then, he glanced back at her, his golden eyes crackling with that intensity, and she knew what she wanted to do. She wanted to follow him. She wanted to make his vision of a world without suffering a reality." Part 1 of 2.
1. The Meeting

**A/N: I'm trying a different way of organizing these first few chapters. I think this is much stronger. Please keep in mind that I am doing rewrites and have made it to around chapter 19. It's created some inconsistencies, but I do intend to fix them. Aside from that, please enjoy!**

 **CW: attempted sexual assault**

* * *

 **The Meeting**

* * *

 _Two years ago: Napolia_

 _Hurried footsteps echoed across Napolia's dark, empty streets, which had been vacated for the night by all but the most inebriated of Reim's citizens. A young girl dashed through narrow alleyways, holding up her long skirts to avoid tripping. She could not afford to falter. She was the prey, and the hunters were fast on her tail. Though she had managed to evade them for the moment, they were certain to catch up. Her pursuers were highly trained guards, and she was a twelve-year-old girl who spent more time with her nose in a book than doing anything that could be considered physical activity. Her body was already tiring, her sides aching with every gasping inhale and her legs burning. There was no foreseeable scenario in which she could outrun them, which left her with only one option: she would have to outsmart them._

 _She stopped to scan her surroundings. Barren fruit and vegetable stands lined the walls of white and red buildings. In front of a plaster wall sat a stack of barrels that would be large enough to hide her small stature. She noted them, ducking behind the fortuitous caskets just as the clatter of armored men's footsteps approached._

 _Covering her mouth, she tried to mask her wheezing breaths. The guards had paused uncomfortably close to her hiding place to discuss their search._

 _"Which way did she go?"_

 _Her body tensed as a breeze kicked up, rustling her silken peplos. Had they heard her?_

 _"She can't have gone far. She's just a girl."_

 _Apparently not. She allowed her shoulders to relax._

 _"You three check the left. We'll look for her near the market."_

 _As their metallic footsteps clamored off in different directions, she breathed a sigh of relief. Now there was time to think clearly._

 _The young girl took yet another sweeping survey of her surroundings, becoming increasingly unsettled. She had never been to Napolia without her father and several bodyguards, especially not at night. During the day, with bustling streets, buildings gleaming in the sunlight, and plenty of protection, the city seemed like an entirely different world. Now, the buildings felt looming instead of grand, the streets felt desolate instead of lively, and she felt vulnerable._

 _Rumors of how dangerous the city could be at night flooded her memories, raising the hairs on her neck. There was a reason she'd run into so few witnesses tonight. Tales of murders and robberies were no rarity. Bodies were recovered on nearly a daily basis. From the small kingdom of Attica, where she had grown up, those rumors had seemed nothing more than salacious gossip whispered by the idle nobles and rapacious traders, but now she believed them._

 _Up until this moment, she had felt like she'd been playing a game of hide and seek. When she had first stowed away on the ship that would carry her away from Attica, there had been a sense of adventure. Even when she recognized her father's men tailing her, she had felt a thrill escaping them. Now, that excitement was transforming into dread._

 _The girl began to panic, backing out clumsily into the street. Perhaps she'd been too hasty in her decision to run away from home. Perhaps this whole adventure was a mistake. Perhaps she could turn back now. The guards couldn't have gone far. She just needed to go find them—_

 _Suddenly, she bumped into something warm and solid._

 _"Huh?" a male voice grunted._

 _Was this one of the guards? Why wasn't he wearing armor?_

 _A large hand wrapped itself around her wrist, jerking her around. Her eyes met with a broad, tunicked chest, following it up to where a menacing grin was unfurling upon a gruff, entirely unfamiliar face. Letting out a whimper, the girl unsuccessfully attempted to jerk her hand away from him. He merely tightened his painful grip. Her breath began to hitch as the reality of her situation washed over her._

 _This man did not work for her father._

 _This man did not have good intentions._

* * *

Current day: Napolia

Sinbad opened his eyes, groaning as he propped himself up in bed. He felt like shit— heavy limbs, parched mouth, throbbing head. Rubbing his eyes, he tried to remember what had happened last night.

He'd gone to the bar for one drink— just to unwind. Then a fan had offered to buy him another drink, and then another fan had paid for two. The drinks kept flowing, and now he was here in what was _hopefully_ his bed.

Shielding his eyes from the bright sunlight pouring in through the windows, he went over to to the dresser and opened it, inspecting its contents. Inside were his last pair of clean pants and some spare change. This was his dresser, which meant this was his room.

Sighing in relief, Sinbad turned around and picked up last night's outfit off the floor before collapsing back on the bed. He gazed up at the ceiling, formulating his plan for the day.

Ever since he was small, he could read fate, see the natural cause and effect relationship of one event leading to the next. Like the waves of the ocean, he'd always been able to navigate them by following the flow. Today was no different. He could see the path he was supposed to take, the most reasonable course of action. It was to stay in his room and recover.

 _Maybe even do some laundry,_ he thought wryly, looking at the heap of clothing stacked on the desk in the corner. He wadded yesterday's outfit into a ball and tossed it into the pile to be washed with the others. When it landed perfectly on target, he started to sit up to cheer, only to have the throbbing in his head worsen.

 _Right. No sudden movements,_ he reminded himself, cradling his head until the pain died down again. Everything else could wait. Right now, he needed to deal with his hangover, and the first step was to rehydrate

* * *

Two years ago: Napolia

 _The girl opened her mouth to scream. The guards she was avoiding moments ago would be her saving grace, if only she could alert them. The man was faster than she, though, and had already pulled her against him, muffling her cries with his hand. Fighting and gnashing, she kicked obstinately, but it was no use. No matter how hard she resisted, she couldn't shake him off. He was too strong and she was too small. Whimpering pathetically, the girl ceased her futile struggle. No one had ever dared to treat her like this before, not without her father ordering it._

 _Without a word, The stranger started walking, and she had no choice but to stagger along with him through the commercial district. The girl began to dare to hope for her rescue. They were close to the market, where half the guards had said they would be looking for her. If they just turned left here—_

 _They turned right. The girl flew into another rage, squirming and releasing muffled curses. Her small fists flew in every direction, trying to land a decent hit on her kidnapper. Through all of it, he remained silent, save for a single amused chuckle._

 _Eventually, they reached the docks— where her adventure in Napolia had begun. From here, she could even see the merchant ship she had stowed away on, her country's flag waving proudly above it. Things weren't supposed to turn out like this. Things had been going so well, but now…_

 _They boarded an unfamiliar ship, where, finally, the silence was broken._

 _"Picked up one more on the way!" Her captor shouted to a gang of men aboard the ship. They were of all shapes and sizes, but none of them looked like people she would like to know. Her captor continued, "This one's dressed funny, but she's got a good face. Never seen one like it." He leaned down, beard and breath scratching her ear, and lowered his voice. "Where you from, little girl?" He finally removed his hand from her mouth._

 _The girl tried her best to channel the regal and imposing posture of her parents and announced, "I am Thalia, princess of Attica and daughter of King Hypatos and Queen Simay. Unhand me at once or I will—"_

 _The man laughed, kicking her in the back of her knees and sending her sprawling on the worn, wooden planks. She was unsure if it was her hands or her pride that stung more._

 _"Lookie here, boys! This one fancies she's a princess!" Her captor squatted down and pulled her head by the tight plaits of her hair, bringing her gaze to his. He practically spat, his rancid breath invading her nose. "Attica? Even better. Atticans sell for a top price. No matter who you are where you came from, this here is Reim. Foreigners don't have no rights. That means I get to claim you as property." He slammed her head back down to emphasize his point. "get it?"_

 _"Careful, Brutus." Another man, just as big, approached them. "If you damage the merchandise, we won't get the full pay."_

 _He reached out his hand to Thalia with a smile that, in other circumstances, might have been mistaken for kindness. Thalia did not want his kindness. She twisted her head away from him in refusal. In no way would she cooperate with these barbarians._

 _Her resistance proved to be useless, as proved by someone pulling her to her feet by her braids. She let out an angry yelp, twisting to view the vile filth that dared to harm her. It was the one called Brutus. As he shoved her down the hatch and into the hold, she threw another kick, shouting every expletive she knew._

 _The hold was dark, the air heavy with must. She gagged at the smell. Never in her life had she been exposed to such filth. Brutus walked to the back of the room to illuminate a lantern. To her horror, the dim light revealed three other children tied up and dressed in rags. Two of them were hunched over, trembling, while the third looked up at Thalia's with calm sage green eyes. For a moment, Thalia forgot where she was. All she saw was the serenity in those eyes._

 _Then, something sharp pressed against the nape of her neck._

 _"Undress." Brutus's command was low and even. It was a threat._

 _Thalia moved her eyes to the side, where Brutus stood, and she caught the glint of a sword in the dim light._

 _Clutching her shawl more tightly around her shoulders, she stumbled away from the sword. "Excuse me?"_

 _With his free hand, Brutus thrust a rough woolen tunic at her. "Undress and put that on."_

 _She didn't move, half expecting him to leave the room. The point of the sword met once again with the back of her neck, this time with more pressure._

 _"I won't repeat myself again."_

 _Thalia obeyed, tears stinging her eyes as she removed her coin purse, jewelry, and bright, fine linens and silks one by one, this terrifying man's eyes boring into her exposed flesh the entire time. She quickly slipped on the cheap tunic, grateful for its protection, however scratchy. Then, Brutus tied her wrists and ankles together with rope and blew out the lantern, leaving her and the other children to sit in the dark._

* * *

Current day: Napolia

Slipping on his last set of clean clothing, Sinbad headed down to the inn's tavern, his boots clumping heavily with each unenthusiastic step.

The tavern was, thankfully, not nearly as bright as his room. It was dark, lit by small windows, a hearth, and a few well-placed candles. Round wooden tables held a few customers eating breakfast, but Sinbad didn't exactly have an appetite right now. Instead, he slid into a stool at the bar, where a gruff man was washing a mug. Sinbad had gotten to know him pretty well over the last two weeks he'd spent at the inn. This guy worked mornings, while the cute girl Sinbad vaguely remembered flirting with last night took the evening shift.

"You look rough, buddy." The bartender set down the mug and leaned onto the counter. "So what'll it be?"

"Water," Sinbad rasped. "Lots of it."

"Hung over, huh?" Standing up, the bartender crossed his arms and barked out a laugh that irritated Sinbad's migraine. "You know, I've got something that'll take the edge off of that. Of course, it'll cause you five _farsu_ , but if you've got the coin, I've got the cure."

"Really?" Sinbad sat up too quickly and the throbbing worsened again. He'd pay anything to get rid of this damn headache. Five _farsu_ was an absolute deal. He counted out the coins and placed them on the counter. "I'll take it."

"A pint of water and one hangover cure, coming right up."

* * *

 _Two years ago, Napolia_

 _Thalia wasn't sure how long they were left in the dark. They did not receive meals, and only a small amount of water was allotted to them at a time. It wasn't nearly enough. She was so thirsty, she thought she was going to die. To distract herself from her physical discomfort, she occasionally attempted to initiate conversations with the other children. They were fairly open about their circumstances._

 _The youngest child was named Cassius. He was not sure how old he was, but the way he struggled to pronounce certain letters told her he was still fairly young. From what she could ascertain, he had been living on the streets since his parents died. He'd gotten by mostly with assistance from former friends of his parents._

 _Six-year-old Dulcia had been orphaned when her parents caught the plague a few months ago. She had been surviving, if you could call it that, by rummaging in people's garbage for leftover food. That certainly explained the way she smelled._

 _The last child, the one with green eyes, was called Dinarzade. She was the oldest of the children, aside from Thalia. Dinarzade seemed overly optimistic considering her situation, and Thalia could not help but look down on her for it. Her parents had sold her to these men, yet she had the audacity to believe that "things would work out" and "maybe someone will save us." Still, her words tended a small flame that still burned in Thalia's chest. Maybe that kind of audacity is just what she needed to get through this._

 _Closing her eyes, she stifled tears of her own. She was a princess, but she had been treated so roughly by these men. That Brutus man had called her property? Slaves were property. Did that mean she was going to become a slave?_

 _Righteous indignation flared within her. They could not treat her this way. When her father heard of this, he would not stand by idly!_

 _But she couldn't get word to him from this ship. This whole adventure had been a mistake. She'd tried to escape her responsibilities, and now she was suffering the consequences._

* * *

Current Day: Napolia

After downing the water and the hangover cure, Sinbad's headache was gone. He could finally concentrate enough to consider his situation. Today, he was barred from performing at the amphitheater, where he usually put on nightly performances. Apparently there was some kind of dance troupe in town, a group of girls gaining popularity among Reim's elite men for their profound beauty and risqué choreography.

Admittedly, Sinbad couldn't deny that he wanted to see the girls that had managed to displace _him_ , a nightly sell-out. He was trying to build a company, though. He was already behind on obtaining the funds to purchase the building he wanted to be his headquarters thanks to the lost revenue the dance troupe had cost him. There was no way he could afford the exorbitant fees the tickets to see those girls had cost even if they hadn't sold out weeks ago.

He weighed his options: he could do laundry and have clean clothes to wear tomorrow or he could try to recuperate some of his lost revenue by working as a porter. Neither prospect seemed especially appealing to him, not when he could tell it was going to rain today. Besides, nothing short of performing at the colosseum would earn him the funds to buy that building at this point, and the owner had already rejected his negotiations twice.

What Sinbad really wanted to do was get a run through of his performance in before the rain hit. The girls wouldn't be in the theater this early, so he wouldn't be imposing on anyone just stopping by and getting in a practice.

So, he decided that just this once, he would sail _against_ the waves. Surely something as small as visiting the amphitheater wouldn't throw his future off balance.

* * *

 _Two years ago: Ria Venus Island_

 _"Stand up!" Brutus's voice bellowed in Thalia's ear. She yelped as a rough hand dragged her to her feet by her hair. Half-delusional from thirst and hunger, she tried to open her eyes, but the bright light was painful. She hadn't seen the sun in what must have been days, judging by her parched lips and lightheadedness._

 _Her time spent in the darkness had been a nightmare. Her hands and ankles chafed from the rope, and her body ached to be able to stretch._

 _Apart from initial introductions, the children had not talked much. In the beginning, the younger ones would scream and cry, but they quickly learned that doing so would only earn them a beating. Instead, soft sobbing and sniffles, along with Dinarzade's occasional quiet singing and muffled murmurs of the men standing guard outside, were the only sounds that graced Thalia's ears. She had drifted in and out of consciousness, unable to stay awake for lack of stimulation. When Brutus had rudely awoken her, she'd been retreating in the sanctuary of her dreams._

 _Now, sunlight flooded in through the open door, invading every corner of the room. Thalia would have tried to shield her eyes with her hands, but the ties around her wrist had rendered that option effectively useless._

 _From the sound of it, the other children were also being handled roughly. Through squinting eyes, she desperately tried to see what was going on, but all she could make out were shadows and light. A kick in the back of her leg combined with a shove and another command from Brutus, this time to "get moving", sent her limping in an unknown direction._

 _Her ankles were no longer bound, she realized. He must have cut her restraints while she was asleep. She could run for it, she thought, if only her legs would straighten— but they were stiff from such a long period of immobility. She shouted at Brutus indignantly as he once again pushed her forward sending her stumbling blindly for a while. Finally, a swift kick in the back of the knees sent her kneeling. The miserable cries and sniffles of the other children soon followed her, and they quickly joined her on the ground._

 _"Hello, children. It's nice to meet you. You can call me Lady Maader," a feminine voice purred from in front of her. Thalia's vision was returning, and she lifted her head to see the speaker. A beautiful raven-haired woman was smiling down at them kindly. Thalia was relieved to see what seemed to be a friendly face._

 _Then Lady Maader's eyes un-crinkled and fixed on Thalia, whose heart skipped a beat. This woman's eyes were black as a demon's. She approached Thalia and took her chin between thumb and forefinger, tilting her head for better inspection._

 _"My, you are quite the pretty one. My men told me as much, but I just had to see for myself. They also tell me you're from Attica? Atticans have many talents. What is yours, young lady?"_

 _Thalia briefly considered lying before deciding the truth was a safer route. "I'm educated in reading, maths, politics, history, and the physical sciences. I can speak and read in Torran. I am also trained in the arts of singing, dance, and the lyre."_

 _The woman's eyes narrowed and she looked up at Brutus. "Where did you say you picked this one up again? She's much better educated than the kind you usually bring in, even for an Attican."_

 _"We picked her up off the streets of Napolia. She tried to claim she was a princess," he guffawed, smacking Thalia on the back as though she were his buddy, in on the joke. She did not laugh._

 _Lady Maader recoiled from Thalia, the blood draining from her face. Thalia felt a glimmer of hope. This woman believed her. This woman would return her to her parents._

 _"You fools!" the woman cried. "Do you realize what you've done? This girl could be the destruction of the entire company if she's found!" She paced back and forth, equal parts rage and terror written on her face. When Lady Maader spoke again, her voice was thin. "No matter. It's too late, now. If we let her go, she will report us. It will be an international incident. The company cannot afford such a scandal."_

 _Tears welled in Thalia's eyes. How could this woman not return her? It was the right thing to do. If morals would not move this woman to compassion, perhaps a bribe would convince her to send Thalia home._

 _"I won't report you," the princess pleaded. "Please return me to my parents. They'll surely reward you. Riches, influence, whatever you want will be yours!"_

 _The woman turned once again to face Thalia and smiled kindly. "There, now, dear. We both know your parents can't afford to give away what little is left of your country's fortune. Welcome to your new home. What is your name?"_

* * *

When Sinbad withdrew the key to the back entrance, he realized was already ajar. The lock had been smashed in, perhaps by some thug wanting to raid the storage rooms containing hundreds of props and costumes. None of it was particularly valuable, but there were some exceptionally beautiful items. He supposed it was possible that someone had wanted to steal one of those.

The reasoning behind the break in wasn't nearly as important as scaring the thieves off. If they were still around, the amphitheater manager was about to owe Sinbad a huge favor. He smirked. He might even be able to use this as leverage for a higher cut of the proceeds from his shows.

Readying his hand on the hilt of his sword, Sinbad crept into the dark corridor, guided by towering pillars and the soft glow from the outside. None of the storage closets appeared to have been tampered with, he noted, but as he approached the stage itself, he quickly picked up on the distinct sound of voices.

He could make an educated guess on the players in the drama unfolding. Three men seemed to be harassing a fourth female, who was coyly trying to talk them into leaving her alone. As they persisted, her desperation was becoming evident. Sinbad frowned, increasing his speed. A lady was in need of rescue.

Someone grumbled. There was the sound of a struggle— shuffling footsteps and a muffled cry followed by something like a body hitting the ground. Picking up his pace even further, Sinbad barged in on a distressing scene. A girl was laying on the ground lifelessly, surrounded by three men. Slowly, the group closed in on her. The one closest to her kicked her in the ribs. It looked painful, but she didn't react.

"Why ain't she movin'?" the one who'd thrown the kick growled. "I barely touched her!"

A man with a pompous air about him, presumably the leader of this group, spoke. "It's fine. We don't need her conscious."

Sinbad had seen more than enough. He brandished his sword toward the group, scowling furiously.

"What the hell do you three think you're doing?"

The three men's heads snapped up, the leader pulling out a jewel-encrusted knife, the other two arming themselves with their fists. As their eyes drifted to his sword, their aggressive glares melted into wide-eyed horror. Sinbad cocked an eyebrow, challenging them to take him on. A knife and a couple of bare fists against Baal? Good luck.

"Lets go!" the leader barked, glancing at his two lackeys. "She's not worth it."

The trio dropped their fighting stances and scrambled past him, back the way they had apparently come. He thought about running after the bastards, but decided the girl was a more urgent matter. He scrambled to her side, pulling her limp body into his lap.

"Hey!" He shook her violently. "Miss, are you okay?"

The girl didn't respond. Her deep amethyst eyes stared stared vacantly into space, unseeing and unblinking. Gently, Sinbad lowered her back to the ground, hanging his head. He was too late. He hadn't managed to save her, and now she was dead.

As his hand moved to check her pulse and confirm his suspicion, the subtle movement of her chest rising and falling caught his eye. Then, her head finally moved, and those sharp, expressionless eyes focused on him. They were devoid of hope or fear, as though she had been resigned to her fate.

Her gaze locked on him, she slowly propped herself up.

"You saved me."

Sinbad looked her up and down, checking for visible wounds. His eyes lingered on the bangles she was wearing on her ankles, wrists, and neck before snapping back up to her face. "Are you alright? Did they hurt you?"

At first, her silent, dead eyes bore into him unsettlingly. Then, she moved onto her knees, her face twisting into a jarringly serene smile. "I'm fine, sir. A lowly slave like me doesn't deserve your kindness." She lowered her forehead to the ground in a deep bow. "How can I possibly repay you?"

"I'm sorry?" Sinbad gawked at this girl who had shown no signs of emotion moments ago. She seemed to have recovered from her strange form of shock quickly, but… was that really possible? Sinbad wasn't exactly known for opening up to others about his problems, but even he would be visibly shaken after being manhandled like that. Was she putting on a brave face for his sake? He decided to call her on her bluff."You can repay me by dropping the act. You just experienced something traumatic. It's okay to be scared."

"Oh." The fake smile fell from her face, replaced by that eerie, blank expression, and she turned her head away from him. Tentatively, she attempted to stand. It was no good. As soon as she put weight on her right foot, she collapsed.

"You're hurt," he told her gently. "You should rest." He reached out to place a hand on her shoulder, but she shrank away like a wilting flower.

The girl mumbled, refusing to meet his gaze. "Sir, you have saved my life. For that I am grateful, but I'm afraid anything more is unnecessary."

Gingerly lifting herself off the floor, she limped to the center of the stage, attempting to position herself to begin a dance. Once again, as soon as she put strain on her injured foot, she toppled to the ground.

"It looks like you twisted your ankle," Sinbad observed, walking over and picking up her rapidly swelling joint to inspect it. "It will only get worse if you try to dance on it."

Again, she looked away from him, this time a stubborn expression crossing her shame-reddened face. "I have to practice."

He shook his head firmly. "Taking a couple of days off won't hurt you. I promise."

"I _have_ to practice." she repeated, her voice wavering. Sinbad's eyebrows shot up. This was the first display of genuine emotion he'd seen from this strange girl.

Her refusal to listen was confusing and a little irritating. He was offering her sound advice. What was so important that she was willing to risk further injury? It was just so illogical— almost as illogical as the fact that she was showing more fear now than when she'd been attacked. What was going on with her?

"Why?" he demanded, placing his hands on his hips like a scolding parent. "You're clearly hurt. If you insist on practicing, it will just take longer to heal."

Taking in a ragged breath, she began to ramble, "I can't be injured. I just need to walk it off. I need to perform tonight, or—"

Leaning in, he tilted his head expectantly. "Or?"

She shivered and he put the pieces together. Everything suddenly made sense— the ability to hide her emotions, the hopeless expression she had worn, all of it. She had even told him what she was: "a lowly slave." This girl was more terrified of her owner than anything else.

"Or your master will punish you? You said you're a slave, right?" It occurred to him for the first time the bangles he had observed were actually shackles. Relatively nice shackles, but shackles nonetheless.

She buried her head in her hands, and Sinbad's head swivelled around anxiously. He wasn't sure how to comfort a crying girl, but he couldn't leave her like this. Slave or not, she was still a person. She deserved empathy.

"Hey, don't cry. Maybe there's something I can do to help, like go talk to your master, explain what happened…"

"No!" She shook her head forcefully, her shoulders hunching forward apprehensively. "That would only make it worse."

A hard pang of sympathy hit Sinbad in the chest. This girl looked so vulnerable, so scared. Even if she would be in trouble when she returned to her master, there had to be something he could do. She was injured and frightened. No matter how low her status in society was, he had to help her.

Suddenly, he was glad he'd come here today. If he hadn't, those men would have done far worse than hurt her ankle, and she would have been completely alone to deal with the aftermath. This girl had needed him.

He smiled at her kindly, attempting to lower her guard. "At least let me help you."

Despite his earnestness, she laughed bitterly. "How exactly do you propose to do that?"

He raised his hand to his chin in thought. He couldn't do much to solve her problems, but maybe if he could distract her for a while, he could brighten her day. He might even be able to put the hope back in her eyes, the same way his performances lit up the eyes of his audience members.

 _Got it!_

"You know, normally, I'd be the one filling the theater with tales of my exploits. You've probably heard of me." He struck a heroic pose for emphasis.

His plan worked. Her interest seemed to be piqued, though a certain wariness lingered in her body language. As she leaned toward him, her dark eyes sparked with curiosity.

"Sinbad? The Dungeon Capturer Sinbad?" His chest puffed out proudly when she recognized him. "I've heard patrons talk about your show back on the island, but a lowly slave like me would never dream..."

He extended a hand out toward her. Perhaps she had never dared to dream of watching his show, but she clearly wanted to. "Would you like for me to put on a private performance for you right now?"

She hesitated to take it, confliction evident on her face. Perhaps she was afraid she was burdening him.

"I came to do a runthrough anyway," he assured her. "It really won't be any trouble."

As dark clouds rolled in, her slender hand slid into his. The skin was surprisingly soft for a slave, but then he remembered she was also a dancer. She probably didn't work much with her hands. Helping her to her feet, he support the weight of her rigid body. He wasn't sure if she was still too frightened to relax, or if she was just uncomfortable with his proximity. With great care, he helped her to a seat in the front row and left her to begin his show.

From his place high above the open-air bleachers, he began his tale. "A dungeon. It's a mysterious place thousands have entered, but from which none have returned. After defeating countless baby dragons, the only thing standing in the boy's way was the guardian of the gate, a mighty dragon with breath of lightning!"

He ran through the performance the way he would if there was a full house. Though she was much more reserved than the typical crowd he was used to, every time he looked back at her, she was absolutely enraptured with his performance. Somehow, this lone girl's reactions inflated his ego more than any of the thousands of audience members that had come before her.

Finally, he reached the finale. He combined Baal and Valefor's abilities to create a glittering snowfall. This time, when he glanced in her direction, time seemed to slow. The glowing snowflakes flurried around her, kissing her skin and nestling in her carob hair. Her cheeks flushed pink with pleasure, her delicate lips parting in awe as she reached out a palm to catch the powder.

Even at the young age of fourteen, Sinbad considered himself a connoisseur of women, so how had he not seen it sooner? She was really pretty. No, more than pretty. She was—

The spell she had cast on him shattered when she rose in a clumsy attempt to give a standing ovation, only to wince when she put weight on her ankle again. He rushed to her side and steadied her, eager to ensure she was alright.

"What did you think?" he asked, sitting down and leaning in eagerly.

"Did you really do all that?" she twiddled her fingers anxiously in her lap.

"Of course. Pretty impressive, huh? Though, not as impressive as your performance, I hear." When he noticed she'd turned red, he bit back a chuckle. "You're with the dance troupe that stole my limelight, right?"

She nodded slowly. "What we do… it's nothing compared to your show. You—" She caught herself. " _It_ was amazing. Thank you for letting me watch."

Sinbad winked. "No problem. Maybe you can make it up to me by putting on a performance of your own— sometime when you're not hurt, of course."

Keeping her eyes fixed on her lap, she shook her head. "Oh... I'd rather not. It's humiliating. You've seen the kind of fans it attracts…" He assumed she must be talking about the men from earlier. "I think a gentleman of your standards wouldn't enjoy seeing half-naked girls flounce around on a stage."

She'd obviously thoroughly misjudged him, but he thought better than to try to correct her. It could potentially lump him in with her "fans" in her mind.

She continued, "I came to practice today because I tripped during the performance last night. I can't afford to make mistakes. If my master thinks I can't make her any more money, she'll sell me to one of those disgusting people." Her hands clenched into tight fists for a brief moment before she finally turned to look at him. "I don't know why I'm telling you all this. I guess because you don't know my Lady to tell her I said these things..."

"Even if I did meet her, I wouldn't say a word." He took her hand in his and kissed it, his signature move. "I'm not like other men," he assured her. "Trust me."

He had expected her to swoon. That was the usual reaction he got from girls when he attempted to charm them. This one was different though. She didn't seem to understand that he was flirting. Instead, something flickered behind her dark eyes, a spark of defiance.

"Can I really trust you?"

"O- of course." He hadn't intended for her to take him this seriously, but if she wanted to open up about a secret, he wouldn't deny her.

Limping over to the edge of the stage, she picked up a cloak, wrapping it around herself tightly. "Then I want to introduce myself." She took a deep breath. "My name… my name is..."

"Yes?" He took an encouraging step toward her, but she limped anxiously backwards in response. He'd never seen anyone struggle so hard with a simple introduction, but he decided to chalk it up to her shyness.

She fidgeted nervously, chewing her bottom lip until, finally, she spoke. When she opened her mouth, something about her seemed regal, authoritative. For a brief moment, he forgot he was looking at a slave.

"My name is—"

* * *

 _"I am Princess Thalia Alexandris of Attica." She tried to sound authoritative, defiant, but the words that left her parched mouth fell flat._

 _The lady smiled once more, only this time it sent chills down Thalia's spine. "Wrong. Your new name is Echo. We can't have anyone discovering who you are, can we?" She turned to the men. "Take her to the punishment room. Don't let her out until she's learned her new name."_

 _"Punishment?! I am an Alexandris!"_

 _Thalia stomped defiantly on Brutus's foot as he grabbed her once again._

 _"Unhand me, you insolent—!" His hand covered her mouth and her muffled protests quickly died down. She was beginning to understand that fighting someone several times her size was a futile pursuit._

 _Brutus dragged her into a large, grandiose building, through magnificent corridors where they passed children her age and younger. They stopped their chores to watch her pass, unmoved by her tear-stained face. One of the children obediently opened a large wooden door without Brutus having to communicate anything. The hallways behind this door appeared more like a dungeon. Instead of smooth marble, the wall consisted of concrete slabs. Torches lit the path to another smaller wooden door. He shoved her into that room, a square, slightly flooded chamber lit by a grate in the ceiling, and, after cutting her wrist ties, locked her in there alone._

 _Her ragged tunic now soaking wet, she lifted herself off the ground and, screaming, pounded against the door until splinters from the wooden door lodged their way into the pads of her fists. At last, voice hoarse from shouting, she backed away from the door. Her efforts were useless. No one was coming._

 _Over the coming hours, she entertained herself by watching the drops of blood seeping from her splinters mingle with the cold water around her feet. She liked how it diffused into nothingness like her current suffering was so minute, maybe it would become just a drop in the ocean of her life._

 _When Lady Maader came for her, the stars shone brightly in the night sky through the vent. Thalia was shivering violently, huddled against the rough wall. The sun had been in the west when she was brought in here. How long had it been? Three hours? Five?_

 _"What is your name?" the woman asked._

 _"Tha—" Thalia stopped, remembering she'd been given a different name._

* * *

The first cool droplets of another storm began to fall. She interrupted herself, a defeated look casting a shadow across her face. The royal air about her was gone, replaced by a more suitable posture for someone of her status. "Echo. My name is Echo."

* * *

 _The woman leaned over Thalia, cooing, "That's a good girl. You poor dear. Look what Brutus did to you. Come, let's get you somewhere you can warm up."_

 _Thalia distinctly remembered that her presence here had been at Lady Maader's command, but let the woman escort her to a room with a lit hearth without question. Lady Maader gestured for her to sit down in a large chair._

 _"Tea?" the woman asked, smiling and holding up a mug. Thalia gratefully accepted the warm beverage, savoring the heat as it warmed her throat_

 _"You don't ever have to go back there again once you become one of my children," the matron told her gently. Thalia frowned, not understanding the woman's words._

 _"Don't I already belong to you?"_

 _The woman's smile remained in place, but her eyes took on a manic quality that chilled Thalia to her core._

 _"You're not my child yet, but you will be."_

* * *

"Echo," he tasted the name on his tongue. It seemed to suit the timid girl. Echoes reflected whatever others projected onto them. Echoes did not speak their minds.


	2. Regret

**Regret**

* * *

 _Two years ago: Attica_

 _As the only legitimate child of Attica's king, Thalia's days were rigidly structured. First, Thalia had awakened at 11, beginning her morning with lessons in mathematics. Then, she had joined her mother to eat lunch in silence, and afterward, she had sat through several more lessons. Because she had studied well today, she had been allowed to neglect her chores and was instead given free time, which she had spent reading a tome about her country's economic history. Thalia's time was precious, and she didn't dare to waste it on anything unproductive._

 _Thalia's day was winding down, and she was now enjoying the final activities. Currently. she was in the balaneion, the bathing room, taking her evening bath. Sinking deeper into the tub, Thalia allowed her sister's smooth singing drifting in from the palace to carry her into relaxation._

 _Though Thalia called Kayra her sister, technically she was only Thalia's half-sister. They shared the same mother, but Kayra's father had passed away long before Thalia was born. Kayra and their mother, Simay, both hailed from Parthevia. Thalia had always envied their loose, aubergine curls and the thick lashes that rimmed their honey eyes._

 _Thalia played with her hair, the dark brown color of wet dirt. She took more after her father, who was a prime example of an Attican citizen. Straight noses, earthy tones, and almond eyes were all hallmarks of the inhabitants of the island kingdom. These features themselves were not less attractive than her mother and sister's Parthevian ones, but Thalia felt she had gotten stuck with an odd mix of Parthevian and Attican traits that seemed poorly cobbled together, like a broken sculpture hastily repaired with the wrong pieces._

 _In some ways, it felt as though her looks were a metaphor for her birth and the circumstances surrounding it. As the only princess eligible to pass on the throne, Thalia had quite a thorough education on the history of the Attican Empire and its devastating fall at the hands of Reim and Parthevia. Attica had only been allowed to keep its current holdings because of skillful political maneuvers by the previous king. Keeping two warring empires at bay was no small feat, but her grandfather Aegaeon had done just that through a marriage treaty between her mother and father. Thalia didn't know much about her mother's life before her marriage to her father, but Kayra had once uncharacteristically waxed nostalgic about the days in Parthevia when their mother's smile was genuine and she didn't reek of alcohol._

 _Thalia opened her eyes and stared longingly at a fresco of a mother affectionately embracing her child. She had grown up seeing that wall-painting, believing if she just tried hard enough, one day her mother would hold her like that as well. It had been nothing but a child's dream._

 _Her eyes drifted to another wall adorned with a loving couple gazing adoringly into each other's eyes. No such couples existed in this palace._

 _After acquiring his heir, her father had checked out of the marriage entirely. He'd kept many women on the side over the years and seldom visited their mother. When her parents did run into each other in the palace, the shouting could be heard from outside the walls. Though her grandfather had eschewed a war, it seemed even the most peaceful solution had not been without casualties._

 _The singing stopped, and Thalia snapped back to reality. Her sister usually practiced for an hour in the evenings, which meant Thalia had been in the bath even longer. Her pruney fingers confirmed her observation, and Thalia stepped out of the bath onto the cold, marble floor, accepting a towel from the on-duty slave._

 _The slave was about the same age as she, twelve years old, and had been working for the family for a few months now. This particular servant was so skilled at drifting into the background that Thalia occasionally forgot she was not alone. She had tried to make conversation with the slave girl before but found her company less than stimulating. As such, Thalia now reserved her energies for her equals, though there were no free persons her age at the palace. Even Kayra was her senior by six years._

 _Thalia held her arms up for the young slave, who nimbly pinned the sleeves on her peplos. Black markings on the girl's palm caught Thalia's attention._

 _"What is that?" Thalia asked commandingly._

 _The slave girl bowed her head in shame._

 _"I don't dare lie to you, Princess. I've been trying to learn to read. These are letters for me to practice remembering throughout the day. I know a lowly girl such as myself is not supposed to covet knowledge..."_

 _Thalia raised her chin, sending the slave girl cowering._

 _"That's an admirable pursuit," Thalia assured her. "Learn as much as you can. You'll be better able to serve me."_

 _The girl's eyes widened and she stood a little taller._

 _"Princess! Thank you for your blessing!"_

 _Thalia nodded, folding her hands in front of her and walking toward the door. This slave… maybe she wasn't quite on Thalia's level, but if she had a hunger for learning, maybe someday she would be good company. The princess stopped and turned to face her servant once again._

 _"By the way, I don't believe I've ever asked your name."_

 _Apprehension flashed across the girl's face, but she schooled it into a serenely submissive smile._

 _"Sappho."_

 _"Thank you, Sappho." She reached out and patted her head like a little sister, but quickly withdrew her hand when she noticed Sappho's fragile shoulders tense with discomfort. "For everything you do."_

 _Sappho escorted Thalia through the halls of the palace. Their destination had been Thalia's room in the women's quarters, where Sappho would prepare her for dinner. However, as Thalia wandered past the throne room, she noticed something odd. She could hear both her mother and father's voices, and neither of them was yelling. She strode past the guards and around the corner, then stopped, motioning for Sappho to be silent._

 _Thalia's parents often told her that those who knew what was spoken behind closed doors in the palace could insulate themselves from most power struggles. She regularly made it her business to find out everything she could through loyal maids and her own reconnaissance. As she stood hunched over with her ear pressed against the wall of the throne room, she knew she would be in trouble if she were caught eavesdropping, but when she had realized her parents were in the same room and not fighting, she knew something gravely serious must be happening._

 _From the other side of the partition, she heard a lilting voice introduce itself as an oracle._

 _"I read the rukh," the voice's owner elaborated, "and they tell me the future. I have seen grave danger for your kingdom."_

 _Thalia almost laughed. How did someone who spoke such superstitious nonsense manage to get an audience with her parents? Her mother did not show as much restraint and snorted loudly._

 _"Who let a charlatan like you in here?" Her words were less slurred than usual. "Guards!"_

 _"Silence, you damnable woman!" Hypatos shouted, "Do not meddle in the affairs of my country." He then directed his words to the oracle "Our kingdom has long depended on the old ways for survival. Please continue."_

 _Even from the other side of the wall, Thalia could hear smugness oozing from the stranger's mouth. "Yes, your majesty. With the death of the patriarch, her highness's family no longer holds the political sway it once did over the Parthevian noble family. The treaty will be broken, and Parthevia will slaughter your entire kingdom."_

 _A heavy silence was broken by her mother's terse response, "Any person with their wits about them could tell as much. Is that the best your future vision can do? Tell us what we already know? Hypatos, just send her away. Why entertain such an obvious fraud?"_

 _Thalia tensed, expecting another outburst from her father. Instead, the "oracle" spoke again._

 _"I did not come to tell you what already is. I came to tell you how you can save your country."_

 _Her father's voice cracked. "How?"_

 _"You must align yourself with Reim. A marriage between your heir and the prince of Reim will please the rukh and protect your family."_

 _Thalia had met Nerva Julius Caluades once before. She had found his personality so thoroughly repulsive that she'd prayed she would never have to so much as to be in the same room with him again._

 _Simay came to her defense. "Hypatos and his ancestors have done everything they can to keep this proud nation independent, and you dare come in here and suggest we surrender to Reim?"_

 _She had a point. Simay had been a noble, but she was never going to inherit the throne. Her family had enough political power to force the government to ensure her safety without her having the ability to claim the land as her own. If the heir of the Kingdom of Attica married the heir of Reim, it would be as good as surrendering Attica over to Reim on a silver plate._

 _The defeated tone in her father's voice told her that however much he wanted to remain independent, he had been backed into a corner. "Call for the Royal Messenger. Send a message to Reim's Emperor offering my daughter Thalia's hand in marriage. Do it quickly."_

 _"But Sire, shouldn't you consult with the priestess of Asena first?" a fourth party asked._

 _Yes, consult with the priestess. Maybe Thalia could bribe her into convincing him that the marriage was a terrible idea._

 _"Can't you see the goddess has abandoned us?" her father shouted. "This is all because of my cursed daughter! Asena still hasn't forgiven her for her unnatural—"_

 _Simay cut him off. "You superstitious fool and your damned religion. The only thing unnatural in this palace is your idiocy."_

 _Multiple parts of that conversation made Thalia cringe, but the word 'unnatural' unearthed a sick feeling in her gut. Every time her father called her that, in dredged up echoes of memories she'd spent two years forgetting. She wasn't the same girl now, and his precious goddess didn't exist. Thalia could not be blamed for her relative's demise, but old age certainly could. Her grandfather had been approaching eighty._

 _"Forget the priestess," Hypatos barked. "Just do as I said. Go send the message."_

 _No…_

 _Thalia's blood ran cold. She refused to marry Nerva Julius Calaudes. He was so much older than her, so pompous. Would they end up like her mother and father? Would she turn to drink while he kept whores on the side?_

 _More importantly, how could she allow her father to hand over Attica so easily? She could not let that happen. Her father and mother had failed to protect both her and her country. She had to take her life and the future of Attica into her own hands. She would run away, only to return when her parents had come up with another solution. There had to be one. She just needed to buy herself time._

 _Weeks passed, and the marriage plans were finalized. So were her plans to escape. With the reluctant help of Sappho, she stole onto a merchant ship set for Reim, where she would offer her services as a tutor to some noble family. She would have to learn to support herself, but that was alright. For the first time in her life, she was truly free._

* * *

 _One year ago: Ria Venus Island_

 _Thalia's first year as a slave had been tumultuous. At first, she had resented Lady Maader. The woman had tortured Thalia so badly, especially the time she'd tried to escape. She had given a sealed letter containing her identity to a sailor, begging him to take it to Attica. Without even opening it, he'd taken it to Lady Maader, who had been furious. She had ordered Thalia to undergo water curing._

 _"Water curing." The name of this torture method didn't sound unpleasant at all, but Thalia had quickly learned not to underestimate her mistress's cruelty. Water had been forced down Thalia's throat until she vomited. How could someone who caused pain like that be forgiven?_

 _However, Thalia's relationship with Lady Maader quickly became much more complex. After ordering severe punishments for Thalia, Lady Maader would comfort her with praise and warm embraces. The broken princess began to crave her Lady's affection, going to no small effort to earn approval. During Thalia's childhood, her mother had rarely shown her any form of tenderness. Thalia lapped up this new form of attention eagerly, forgetting any desire to escape._

 _Thanks to her dedication to Lady Maader, Thalia quickly moved up the ranks as a slave. When Thalia had put on a performance of traditional Attican dance, Lady Maader had been so pleased that she had decided to have Thalia train some of the older girls. They would eventually perform in the colosseum in front of thousands of people, and Thalia was thrilled at the prospect. That was to be in the future, however. Currently, she served snacks and hot tea to important clientele as they waited for a meeting with her Lady._

 _As she rushed past an older gentleman, a tray of tea in hand, she lightly chided him for the lewd comment he'd tossed in her direction. Incidents like this were becoming more and more common as she got older. She hated it, but Lady Maader said it was normal, and that she should do her best not to make her displeasure known to the customers._

 _Responding to the clients was a precarious endeavor. If her refusal to acknowledge the remarks offended the patron, she would be punished. If she indulged the comments, she would be seen as immoral, and it would reflect badly on both her reputation and her Lady. She had learned the safest route was to playfully rebuke the comments. So far, it had diffused every situation, but some of the clients were becoming more persistent. She feared for her safety._

 _She finally caught sight of the women she had been serving. They were a pair of noblewomen who looked to be Parthevians on vacation. Thalia generally did not find these types particularly useful to eavesdrop on. They tended to talk about fashion and scandals, nothing of interest to her. Today, however, their topic piqued her interest._

 _The woman in a blue dress sighed in frustration. "I almost couldn't afford this vacation. My son's tutor costs our family a fortune. My husband insists on him because he's Attican. You know, it's fashionable to have your children tutored by an Attican nowadays, but I still feel like we're being robbed blind."_

 _The other woman, clad in yellow, responded. "Speaking of Attica, have you heard?_

 _Thalia stopped approaching them and slipped behind a pillar instead. She wanted to listen to the rest of the conversation. It was unusual to hear Parthevians talk about her tiny island country, to say the least._

 _"Heard what?" The woman in blue sounded thoroughly disinterested._

 _"They've finally been conquered. Another fine victory for the Parthevian Empire." The speaker let out a satisfied laugh. "General Barbarossa led the attack, but I hear the real hero was our dear Princess Serendine. She earned the nickname 'Venomous Spider Princess' thanks to her contribution to eliminating the royal family. "_

 _Thalia's body went numb. Attica had been conquered?_

 _Serendine… she knew that name. On her frequent visits to Parthevia with her mother and sister, Thalia had often played with her. Growing up together, Thalia had been her shadow. Wherever the Parthevian princess went, Thalia was close behind, watching as her fellow princess handled swords and horses, things Thalia was never allowed to touch. If she tried, one of her retainers would quickly swoop in and scold her, reminding her that only men and barbarian women did such things. But, sometimes, when no one was looking, Serendine would sneak off with her and teach her tidbits about the world beyond the constraints of being an Attican princess._

 _Thalia's grip on the tray she was holding loosened. As the princesses had grown older, Thalia had lost interest in the forbidden world of men and barbarians, but never interest in Serendine, her closest friend. Thalia had thought the world of her fellow princess. How could Serendine… Had she heard incorrectly?_

 _Metal clattered onto the ground and hot liquid licked at her ankles. The two women stood up and peered around the pillar._

 _"Oh, dear. It's one of those slave children."_

 _"Doesn't she look Attican? Poor thing must have overheard us..."_

 _"Wretched girl, were you eavesdropping?"_

 _Thalia ignored them and ran as fast as her feet could carry her to Lady Maader's office. She banged on the door until Kil answered._

 _The short girl looked perturbed. "Are you daft? What do you want? You're disturbing Lady Maader!"_

 _Thalia shoved Kil out of the way, ignoring her snide comments. Lady Maader was sitting at her desk, filling out paperwork._

 _Thalia took a deep breath, then, in a shaking voice asked, "Is it true?"_

 _Lady Maader's face melted into a confusingly smug expression. Couldn't she see her child was falling apart? Why did Thalia's master look as though this fact gave her pleasure?_

 _"Is what true, my dear girl?"_

 _"Attica… is it… has it been…?" Thalia's whole body shook violently so that she struggled to stay standing._

 _Her benefactor leaned forward, clearly amused. "If you're asking about whether or not Attica is still a country, the answer is no. Parthevia invaded and took over."_

 _"What about my family? Are they…?" She choked on the dryness of her mouth._

 _"My dear, I'm your family now. It's unfortunate about the royal family, but it would be too troublesome for Parthevia to keep them alive, don't you think?"_

 _What was Lady Maader saying? Her family's lives were "too troublesome"? Maybe they hadn't shown her affection the way Lady Maader had, but they were her flesh and blood. She was inextricably bound to them. Lady Maader had taken care of Thalia this last year. How could she just mock Thalia's loss like this?_

 _Thalia stiffened. She'd grown complacent in this place and lost her focus on what was important: her duty to her country and her family. Her faith in Lady Maader had been misplaced. This woman did not care for her. She did not show an ounce of sympathy for Thalia's grief. Her birth family had been slaughtered at the hands of a childhood friend, and her home country had been subjugated. All of it had been her fault. If she had just married Nerva Julius Calaudes as her father had requested, if she had been an obedient daughter, none of this would have happened. It was her fault._

 _A wave of nausea overcame Thalia. She collapsed to the floor as her stomach evacuated its contents all over Lady Maader's priceless carpet. Good, she thought, taking in the mess she had made. I hope it's ruined._

 _"Oh my…" Lady Maader said with mock pity. "Kil, will you get her out of here? And treat those burns on her feet, will you? No one wants to buy a slave with scars..."_

* * *

Present Day: Napolia

Sinbad's lips pulled into a frown as his eyes flicked down to the girl's injured ankle. "Can I ask you something, Echo? How are you planning to get back to wherever you're staying?"

She laughed nervously, her small shoulders hunching. "It's an inn just a few blocks away. I'll walk."

Sinbad shook his head. He wasn't about to let an injured girl walk home, especially not after what he'd witnessed earlier.

Kneeling in front of her, he did the only gentlemanly thing to do in a situation like this. He offered to help her.

"Miss Echo, please allow me to carry you."

When she stumbled backward, adorably flustered, he bit back a chuckle.

"You don't have to…" she mumbled, twiddling her fingers. Her cheeks flushed a deep crimson, the most embarrassed he'd seen this shy girl yet.

"I want to." he leaned forward to make it easier for her to climb on his back. After a moment's hesitation, she reluctantly wrapped her arms around his neck, clinging to him tightly. Her breath tickled pleasantly against his neck, and she thoughtfully draped her cloak around him to shield him from the rain.

As they made their way through the city, curious eyes followed them everywhere. Echo buried her face in his neck and pulled her hood higher in an attempt to avoid the prying stares, but Sinbad beamed proudly. It was no shame to be seen in the company of a beautiful girl. Under different circumstances, he would have continued to flirt with her relentlessly. As it was, it seemed what she needed was a bit of kindness.

The longer they walked, the more tightly she clung to him. At this rate, he wasn't going to be able to breathe by the time they reached their destination. He supposed she was terrified of the punishment she would receive when he returned her, but she didn't complain out loud. He was about to croak out a request for her to loosen her grip when she pointed straight ahead to a small shack in front of them.

"We're here."

 _This is where Reim's premier dance troupe is staying?_

The cuffs digging into his neck reminded him that even if she was a dancer, she was still a slave, a piece of property. Of course her master hadn't provided decent lodgings for her. That would require treating her like a person.

"Ah! Echo, you're back!" Sinbad spotted a blonde, freckled girl bounding toward them through the light rain. When his eyes met hers, she stopped, cocking her head to the side curiously. "And you are…?"

Echo didn't give him time to respond. "Dinarzade, will you help me to our room? I hurt my ankle."

The girl named Dinarzade helped Echo down. "Sure, but what happened?"

"Oh, just an overzealous group of fans. I'm fine."

As Echo spoke, Dinarzade's eyes moved from Sinbad to Echo, then back to Sinbad quizzically. They seemed to go in and out of focus like she was struggling to concentrate.

"What on Earth is happening here?" A boy with long, silver hair approached them, whip in hand. He appeared furious. "Echo, where have you been? Who's this? Why are you limping?"

"Fatima, I, I-" Echo stammered as Dinarzade's arms wrapped around her protectively.

The boy raised his weapon threateningly. "You are aware that you are Lady Maader's property, are you not? Allowing someone to harm you is the same as damaging her property. This is unforgivable!"

Sinbad stepped in. Surely this Fatima person would listen to reason. "It's not her fault. She was attacked."

The boy glowered at Sinbad. "Who are you to try to interfere with Lady Maader's matters? Get out of here. Leave."

 _Tch_. Sinbad balled his fists. This guy may not be Echo's master, but he was the one she was frightened of. Sinbad could tell by the way her eyes lingered on the whip, as though she expected it to come down on her at any moment. He wasn't about to go anywhere without making sure she wasn't going to be punished for something that wasn't even her fault.

"He's right, Sinbad," Echo whispered. "You should go."

"But—" Surely she understood he was just trying to protect her.

"Please go" she pleaded. "Don't cause any more trouble for me." He found himself unable to deny her reasoning but too afraid of what might happen to leave her side.

"Go to your room and await your punishment," the boy with the whip commanded. "And you," he turned his attention to Sinbad, "if I see you around here again, _she_ will be the one who suffers for it. Do you understand?"

Sinbad stood frozen, unable to do anything more. As Dinarzade helped Echo walk to the door, Echo looked back and gave him a warm smile. It was convincing enough that, on the surface, it appeared she wasn't afraid. Of course she was. She was so terrified, she'd nearly strangled him moments ago. He wouldn't let her fool him now.

The boy with the whip followed her inside, slamming the door behind him.

Sinbad lingered on the building's premises, imagining Echo's blank face as the whip cut into her skin. He couldn't bring himself to leave. Not yet. He had to know what was going to happen to her. Otherwise, he wasn't sure he'd ever be able to put his worry for this poor slave to rest. He put his ear to the wall of the building to listen.

1… 2… 3… …5…

He counted the cracks of the whip with intensifying horror. It hadn't been Echo's fault. Why was she being punished so severely?

…10…

He heard a muffled cry. The girl who hadn't flinched at being kicked in the ribs had reached her limit. Dinarzade's voice pleaded on Echo's behalf, along with a chorus of other girls.

…15…

He could charge in there and stop it. He could take Echo away and never let anything like this happen to her again. But that solution wasn't realistic. It would be considered theft and his company, all the people who had placed their faith in him, would be the ones to suffer.

…20.

The lashes stopped, and he had done nothing. One girl's sobbing carried through the wall. Another girl chastised Fatima about potential scarring, while a third offered to go buy some medicine to prevent it. He couldn't hear Echo. He imagined her lying there limply, her dead eyes boring into the wall, as though she could see through it, see what a powerless fool he was.

 _"Can I really trust you?"_ she had asked.

He had told her she could, and that silly, naive girl had believed him.

As the storm picked up, he backed away from the side of the building, trying to shake his guilt away. What had happened to her wasn't his fault. He wasn't the one who'd hurt her ankle. If anything, he'd saved her from an even worse fate.

Trying to forget Echo, he wandered back to the inn and opened a bottle of spirits. He'd barely gotten half-way through the first glass when he received a communication from the colosseum. They had decided to allow him to perform. As always, fortune had seemed to fall right in his lap. The good news successfully pushed the pretty girl with the dark eyes and the fake smile to the back of his mind.

With the increased seating capacity, his performances earned him an excess of riches. After investing them in the company, he spent the rest on himself, on gaudy jewels and extravagant wines. Some nights, though, when he lay in bed, inspecting one of his precious new items, his mind would wander to how his money would have been put to better use hunting down Echo and buying her from her cruel master. He wasn't powerless anymore. He could set her free.

Then he would toss the jewel into his growing heap of treasures and remind himself he'd barely spent a couple of hours with her. He didn't owe her anything, and it wasn't like he could save every slave he came across.

When Ja'far and the others returned from their journey, Sinbad was able to present to them their new headquarters, one of the most extravagant buildings in Napolia. Soon afterward, Sinbad wrapped up his colosseum performances and embarked on new adventures in Artemyra and Sasan. His memories of that morning with Echo faded quickly. She was only a pretty girl, after all, and he would meet plenty of those to take her place.


	3. God

**God**

* * *

Two years later, In the dining hall at the Mariadel Company Headquarters, Thalia bounced a screaming toddler on her knee, cooing happily in his ear until he stopped crying, instead twisting around in her lap and tugging her hair. She breathed a sigh of relief now that this tantrum was over. When she wasn't performing or practicing, this is how she spent her "free" time. She helped care for the younger children. Even around them, she was putting on a show. She wanted to scream at them, to tell them to let her have a moment of peace. Instead, she smiled and exercised endless patience, something no one in her life had ever afforded her.

She scanned the crowd of playing children around her. They giggled and tossed balls made of inflated pig's bladders or kicked little sacks of sand around. It was hectic, but from the outside, it almost looked idyllic. They were well-fed kids having a good time, so what could be wrong with a place that let them live like this?

Thalia could tell you. They were slaves, every one of them. These toys? The laughter and the smiles? Those were just distractions from the dark reality— this place was a holding cell for a slave-trading company.

She pitied every child here— orphaned, impoverished, or abandoned at such a young age and then forced into slavery. They weren't old enough to understand they were being exploited. They were just happy to receive consistent meals and the morsels of affection Lady Maader would occasionally toss them. Thalia had realized years ago that affection was entirely fake. These children deserved better. She deserved better, she thought, looking at her hands in her lap.

"Hey!"

Thalia looked up to find Dinarzade giving her a meaningful look. She returned it with a deceptively bright smile, motioning for the other girl to sit.

Thalia had complex feelings for Dinarzade. Her sunny disposition and unwavering positivity even in their current situation had earned Thalia's respect. Unfortunately, Dinarzade was also currently Thalia's biggest threat on the island. In the past year, Dinarzade's already lush body had developed even more, as had her dance skills. The result was that increasingly, Thalia was becoming less popular as Dinarzade stole more of the spotlight. Lady Maader had yet to catch onto this trend and was currently considering selling Dinarzade. The faster Dinarzade was out of the picture, the sooner Thalia would be secure in her position again.

Thalia needed to be the most popular. As long as she was bringing in the most money, Lady Maader would refuse to sell her. This was why, shamefully, she had done whatever she could to expedite the process of selling Dinarzade, including talking the girl up to patrons.

She looked into Dinarzade's kind, green eyes, the ones that reminded her of a field of sage. Dinarzade would never have tried to do anything like that to Thalia.

 _The most important thing is surviving,_ Thalia reminded herself. _Even if I have to step on other people to keep from drowning._

Rival or not, Dinarzade was a fountain of gossip, and occasionally she spewed out useful information. In her previous life, before she was a slave, Thalia had been taught information was power, and here on Ria Venus Island, she needed all the power she could get. Thalia shooed the little boy off to go play so Dinarzade would get to the point.

"Echo, have you heard?" the other girl asked as the boy scampered away to join his friends.

Thalia didn't blink at the use of her fake name. People had called her that for so long, she wasn't sure she would still answer if someone called out her old name. One day, she hoped to be able to reclaim her name. It was the last thing she had that her parents had given her. First, she would have to escape, but so far, opportunities had been elusive. In the meantime, she continued gathering information from whatever sources she could find. It didn't matter information about what. Anything could be useful in the long run.

She leaned in, curious about whatever Dinarzade had to say. "Heard what?"

Dinarzade looked around furtively before beginning her spiel. "The president of the Sindria company got into a ton of debt with Lady Maader and couldn't pay it off. He should have just sold the company, but instead, he made a bet with our Lady. If he loses, he's going to become her slave." She scoffed, "What kind of idiot would bet his freedom like that?"

Thalia struggled to keep her expression neutral. She had kept tabs on the boy who used to perform at the Napolia Amphitheater through eavesdropping on patrons. If her intelligence was correct, the president of the Sindria Trading Company was none other than that same Sinbad.

What kind of idiot indeed, she seethed internally. She'd been silently celebrating his success over the last two years as the gossip surrounding him shifted from his play to the rise of his trading company. Her savior deserved all the good fortune in the world. How could he be so reckless?

Of course, Thalia wasn't very worried. He would never lose. She was still dazzled by the memory of his metal vessels during the performance he'd put on for her. Snow and lightning had rained down from the skies, all at his command. She'd believed at that moment, and ever since, that he was invincible. He'd become a god to her.

"That's unfortunate for him. Of course, he won't defeat our dear Lady Maader," Thalia responded dutifully. She had to lie about her true feelings to keep up appearances in front of the other children. No one could know how much she despised this place and the woman who ran it. Fatima already tried to make her life as miserable as possible ever since he'd gotten punished for giving her scars a few years ago. She didn't need more people trying to sabotage her.

"Right? There's no way." Dinarzade cocked her head to one side as if she were deep in thought. "I think it's a good thing, though. He's really handsome. It would be nice to have some eye candy around, don't you think? I could have sworn I'd seen him before somewhere, though..."

"What?" Thalia blurted, panicked. Why was Dinarzade talking as though she'd seen him recently?

Without Thalia having to ask aloud, Dinarzade answered. "He's here. I saw him gambling in the casino. Maybe if he wins, he'll buy me with all that gold he won and—"

Thalia didn't let the blonde finish. She rushed out of the dining room, legs carrying her through the halls and out of the gates. He was here. Her savior was here.

This whole time, she'd resigned herself to the fact that she'd never see him again. Every day since their encounter, she'd imagined this moment— imagined herself thanking him profusely, bowing to let him know how much his gestures had meant to her. She'd imagined those gentle eyes and that kind smile once again directed at her. Now she would have the chance to thank him, or maybe just look at him from afar. Two long, miserable years had separated them, but he was finally here. Her impossible dream had finally come true.

She dashed on nimble feet through crowded streets, narrowly avoiding irritated patricians who shouted angrily at her. She didn't pay them any mind. Nothing mattered but finding the boy from two years ago.

When she finally reached the casino Dinarzade had been referring to, she hesitated outside. Her heart pounded in her chest, sending blood roaring in her ears. On the other side of this door, she could find him, her savior, her god. A thousand scenarios raced through her head, the most realistic of them involving him not even remembering her. Even so, the temptation of what if guided her hand to push open the door. Quietly, she slipped into the crowded building.

The heavy stench of tobacco, the raucous laughter of drunken men, the clink of gold coins against the surface of wooden tables— these weren't entirely unfamiliar. The casino's owner had been her friend for the last two years, and Thalia frequented this establishment to visit him, though usually not during peak hours. Today, however, she wasn't looking for him. Instead, Her eyes scanned the crowd, searching for that familiar violet ponytail.

When she found it, her breath caught. It hung beautifully down his back, every bit as vibrant as she remembered. Sinbad himself had grown as well. He was taller now, leaner and more muscular. His deep, rich voice boomed out merrily when he laughed, raking a mountain of roulette winnings toward him.

His outrageous luck increasingly drew the attention of the gamblers around him, and Thalia stood among the crowd, paralyzed. She was caught in a riptide of emotions— terror, elation, confusion… when she wasn't busy reliving the memories of that morning with him, she was desperately trying to forget them. He'd stirred a sleeping dragon in her heart, the desire for freedom and happiness. For two years, she'd been trying to put that dragon back to sleep, to be content with her life again.

At the sight of its master, the dragon reared its head and roared.

Trembling, Thalia took a step forward.

 _"Maybe he'll buy me with all that money he won…"_ The words had been Dinarzade's, but now Thalia had claimed that dream as her own. Maybe he would take pity on the pitiful girl he'd saved. Maybe he would buy her and set her free. He was so kind, so empathetic. He'd said she could trust him. He'd said he wanted to help her.

"Hm?" A man beside her noticed her presence and grabbed her wrist, halting her progress. "What's a pretty thing like you doing in a place like this?"

Thalia glanced anxiously toward her savior, then back at the man who had caught her. Despite his fine clothing, this gentleman's behavior made him seem like more of a ruffian. Even the most refined of men lost their genteel manners when presented with a target who couldn't defend herself, as Thalia had learned well over the last few years. The predator's eyes gleamed, but this was nothing. She dealt with people like him daily. As long as others were present, she wasn't afraid.

"This island is so small, a place like this is the only place a girl like me can get a change of scenery." She rebuffed him with her usual appeasing banter, though it was perhaps a little brighter than usual to overcompensate for the turmoil she was feeling.

"Wait, you're one of those little dancer girls." Another man had recognized her and began to approach. "Why don't you come back to my room and show me a few of your moves?"

 _Like hell._

She smiled winningly, backing in the direction of the door. "I couldn't possibly. We wouldn't want to give anyone the wrong idea."

Her eyes darted one last time to her savior, still absorbed in his game of roulette, before she found the doorknob behind her and let herself out of the building. If she had stayed any longer, there was a chance she would have caused a commotion.

Letting out a heavy sigh, she leaned back against the wall of the building. Her thoughts returned to her savior. Suddenly, she was glad for the interruption. What if she had gotten his attention? What if he didn't remember her and she just embarrassed herself? Did she even want him to remember her? She'd returned his kindness with scorn at first. If he still remembered her, maybe it was as the ungrateful bitch who'd been too prideful to accept help. She'd wanted to ask him to buy her? When Dinarzade had said his company had been close to folding? Was she _that_ stupid?

The door to the building creaked, and Thalia caught a figure exiting in the corner of her eye. Great. Someone had followed her. She wasn't in the mood to deal with pushy perverts. She took in a breath, about to snap at whoever had come to bother her when a familiar voice called out to her.

"Echo."

Thalia finally bothered to turn her head and look at the boy standing in the middle of the empty cobblestone street.

"Echo, I know you came to see me."

"Marcus…"

Marcus Alexius was a member of the most influential family in the country and the owner of this casino. He was Reim's beloved philanthropist, known for giving huge portions of his time and income to charities each year. His big heart, friendly personality, and good looks made him popular. He had plenty of friends and even more suitresses, but for some unfathomable reason, he kept Thalia around.

No, he more than just kept her around. His infatuation with her was something of a scandal on the small island, where everyone here for a substantial amount of time knew each other. She was a slave, and he was one of the most powerful young bachelors in Reim. Yet, for several months now, he had pursued her relentlessly, irritating the patricians who believed their daughters had more of a right to him than a lowly slave.

More scandalous, though, was that Thalia repeatedly refused his advances. Didn't she know her place? Didn't she know who she was rejecting? She knew. She just didn't care. Thalia could deal with all kinds of humiliation. She could scrub floors on her knees, help perfectly capable adults dress, prance around on a stage in front of a crowd of men triple her age.

She could not allow herself to become someone's plaything.

He closed the distance between them, briefly flashing her a dashing smile before furrowing his eyebrows.

"Why didn't you use the back entrance?" he scolded her. "You know this happens every time you set foot on the gambling floor."

 _Because the person I came to see wouldn't be in the back._

"I guess I wasn't thinking straight," she mumbled. It wasn't a lie. All she'd been able to think about when entering was the prospect of seeing _him_.

"Not thinking straight?" When he reached up and attempted to stroke her cheek, Thalia dodged. He was reading into something she'd said and jumping to conclusions again. "What were you thinking about that had you so hot and bothered?"

"I'm _not_ hot and bothered." She shot him a glare.

She didn't want to be with him or anyone in the way he was thinking of. For as long as she could remember, her parents had drilled into her that she must remain a virgin until she was properly married to a man. It wasn't just her duty as a princess, but also as a respectable Attican woman. She was a vessel of Asena, the goddess that protected her country, and if she allowed herself to be sullied and angered the goddess, the entire country would suffer and her people had already been through enough.

That was the story she was supposed to believe, at least. Thalia didn't believe in Asena anymore, but the idea that her chastity and her value were intertwined had never left her. She didn't want to defend her virginity for some imaginary goddess. She wanted to maintain it because that was what a proper Attican woman did. If she allowed herself to be sullied, what worth did she still have? She would never find a husband, she would bring shame to her parents' memories, and she would become a pariah.

In any case, she wasn't interested in the opposite sex anyway. Despite being sixteen, she was a bit of a late bloomer. She didn't know what it was like to have a crush on a boy, much less want to sleep with him. She purely wasn't interested. The idea of being with someone, even within the proper constraints of marriage, made her uncomfortable.

"You say you're not hot and bothered… " Marcus grinned. "...but red isn't your natural skin tone."

Of course she was red. She had sprinted here. Instead of telling him that and having to make up an explanation for her hurry, she cast her eyes to the ground.

Marcus continued, probably interpreting her lack of eye-contact as a sign she was falling for him. "I haven't had a meeting with Maader Umm Mariadel for a while, so I haven't been able to see you, but it sounds like you're suffering without me." He took a step toward her, boxing her in against the wall. "I'll have to come up with more excuses to visit."

"A visit would be nice," she agreed. "It's just…"

"Just what?" he purred, taking her hand in an attempt to kiss it. She managed to withdraw it before it reached his lips. This was hardly the first time she'd disappointed him this way, but today she thought she saw a flash of irritation cross his face before it returned to his usual friendly expression.

"Marcus…" Right now, he was her oldest friend. Maybe she just needed to be straight with him, and he would back off. "I'm flattered by your affections, but I just don't feel the same way. I wish you'd stop pursuing me. I liked things better when we were friends."

He scowled. "Is it because of a guy?"

She shook her head. "I don't feel that way about anyone. I don't understand why you're so set on me. I'm not anything special. There are so many girls that do want you. Why don't you go after one of them?"

He gave her a charming grin. "Echo, do you remember the day we met?"

She did. It had been one of the worst days of her life. The injuries from the lashing Fatima had given her still ached, and he had just received his own whipping. He'd been livid and shoved her to the ground, causing her to land on her wounds. Then he had kicked her in the side, and all Thalia could think about was how much she wished her god would come to save her. Fatima had left her after that one kick, but she had lain on the ground lifelessly for what felt like an eternity, sobbing and crying until Kil started to yell at her to get off the floor. She'd scrambled onto her knees and ran away on her swollen ankle, off the Mariadel property, until she collapsed on the street outside Marcus's casino.

"I was crying in the rain, and you gave me a cloak and brought me inside to dry off."

Marcus smiled and nodded, finally backing up to give her some space. "My cousin was the one who saw you out there. He was planning on bringing you in, but when I looked out the window and saw a girl out there crying, I knew it was because you didn't have anyone to turn to. You were so helpless and alone. You needed a hero."

Thalia supposed Marcus was a kind of hero to her. She didn't worship him the way she worshiped Sinbad, but he'd offered her protection on the days when she hadn't been able to take any more abuse. He'd been a shoulder to cry on.

"So, I asked him to leave us alone, and I brought you in," Marcus continued. "I was right. You needed me, Echo. You came back time and time again, seeking me out because I was the only one that made you feel like a person. And you know what? You're always going to come back to me. Do you know why?"

Thalia shook her head.

"Because you're so weak and vulnerable. Other people, they're always going to take advantage of you, and you're going to let them because you're too nice. Echo…" He reached out to stroke her cheek again, and this time she let him, warmed by memories of the past when they hadn't been caught in this game of cat and mouse. "I'm the only one that cares about you. Just be my sweet, obedient Echo and let me buy you. Then everything can go back to how it was. We can joke around with each other again. You miss that! I know you do!"

"I do," she confessed quietly, "but I can't let you buy me."

As a slave, she would be compelled to give herself to her owner if he or she required it of her. Under Lady Maader's care, she at least knew she was safe. The woman had never asked Thalia to do something so improper.

Marcus was another matter entirely. Thalia knew him. She was well aware that he wanted more from her than she was willing to give, and while she didn't think he was the kind of guy that would force himself on her or punish her for disobeying, she still didn't want him to have that kind of power over her.

In reality, Thalia's choice in the matter only extended as far as Marcus's generosity. Though she wasn't currently for sale, he had more than enough money to turn Lady Maader's head. Ever since he'd first brought up the idea of buying Thalia, though, Marcus had promised he would never do so without her permission. His willingness to respect her desires and the fact that he had followed through had earned her trust. That's why the smile she gave him was one of the few genuine ones that graced her face these days.

He grinned again, this time his smile showing a hint of strain. "I'll respect your wishes, then. At least... for today."

Thalia groaned internally. How was he so persistent?

"Well, I only stopped by to say hi," she said in an attempt to cut the conversation short. "I'll see you some other time, okay?"

He smiled warmly. "Soon."

"Soon," she agreed.

She really did want to see him again soon, and this time she hoped he would talk to her the way he used to— as a friend.

She slept fitfully that night, as she always did. It was a familiar dream, one where she relived the moment when she had found out about the fate of her family and country. She awoke in a cold sweat. Unable to sleep, she wandered outside into the gardens, enjoying the warm air and gentle breeze of a summer night. Midnight strolls had become commonplace for her, but tonight felt different. She looked up at the vast sky, basking in the moonlight and reveling in the shimmering of the stars.

 _He's here. Sinbad is here..._

She brought a hand to her cheek, surprised that it seemed to be radiating heat. A giggle escaped her lips, paving the way for a laugh of unbridled joy. Tonight, they weren't just sharing the same night sky. They were on the same island.

For the first time in years, she danced without worrying about what anyone else would think. Twirling, dancing, even singing, she released her uncontainable elation. No string of words could express the rapture she felt at that moment.

He'd once asked to see her dance, and she imagined him watching now, sitting on a bench and admiring her skill, not her body. He would ask her what her strange dance was, and she would laugh as she plopped down beside him.

"It's a secret," she would tell him because she could never reveal the truth— that this sacred dance was to celebrate him, that she was a priestess and he was the god she worshiped.

Her chest heaved as she leaned back against the bench, turning her eyes toward the island's hotel. She wondered if that was his room on the fourth floor with the light still on, if he was the silhouette sitting in the window and looking her direction. Thalia let out a small squeak, realizing her private moment hadn't been so private. At least with it being so dark and the hotel being so far away, the onlooker would never know the identity of his strange midnight performer.

Though she couldn't be positive the person was looking at _her_ and not _in her general direction_ , she stared straight at him, hoping that they were locking eyes. She told herself it was Sinbad, that he couldn't sleep either because he was thinking about her too.

Then the figure turned away and the light in his room went out.

Suddenly, despite the summer night, Thalia was bereft of warmth.


	4. Mortal

**Mortal**

* * *

The next day, Thalia pushed around the food on her breakfast plate, too excited to eat. She'd heard whispers that Masrur was to be his opponent. Masrur was a good kid. He wasn't Lady Maader's child, and she could trust him with her real opinions. She didn't need to hide how much she hated Lady Maader from him. She didn't need to pretend she was happy. All she needed to be was herself. He understood… or if he didn't, he kept it to himself.

She glanced up at the empty spot where Masrur normally would have sat if he weren't being kept in the colosseum.

Ever since that night in Lady Maader's office, Thalia had joined Masrur in being kept at arm's length. In Thalia's case, Lady Maader simply avoided seeing or interacting with her whenever possible, but she still was treated exceptionally well. Masrur, on the other hand, was undoubtedly treated worse than any other slave on the island.

Except for the scars on her back from a lashing after she'd twisted her ankle two years ago, Thalia's punishments were never anything that could mar her appearance. That lashing had been an exception. Lady Maader had not been present at the time, and when she discovered the injuries, Fatima had been severely punished.

Masrur had no such protection. His value was in his brute strength, not his appearance. He was strong, but he was going to go up against her god. There was no way that child could win.

Standing up, Thalia sighed, sneaking some links of sausage and an apple into a napkin. If Masrur was going to fight today, he needed to eat properly, and the adults that ran the colosseum never gave him enough food. She made her way to the enormous building and smiled winningly at the guard blocking her entry.

"Lady Maader has sent me to give today's participant extra food." She held up the napkin with the apple and sausages wrapped in it. "She wants to be extra sure he's eaten well for today's match."

Because she wore a uniform denoting her as a particularly high ranking slave, Thalia could just throw Lady Maader's name around and get what she pleased. Almost no one would question her claims unless she attempted something especially egregious, but Thalia was careful. She knew better than to test the limits of what she could get away with. Small things like this were enough.

The guard swung open the large door and let her into the cell Masrur was being kept in. He paused his pushups to see who had visited him.

"From Lady Maader," Thalia announced cheerfully as his eyes wandered to the bundle in her hands.

"You have ten minutes with him," the guard scowled. "If he tries to hurt you or anything, just scream. I'll be outside."

Thalia glared after him as he left. Masrur wouldn't hurt her. He didn't even hurt that vile woman that kept him chained down.

"This isn't really from Lady Maader," Masrur observed, picking up a sausage.

"Apple first," Thalia scolded him. "It's healthier."

He bit into the sausage anyway and Thalia sighed.

"If you want to grow big and strong, you need proper nutrients."

He looked at her as though she were stupid.

"Did you get proper nutrients?" he asked when he was done chewing.

"Yes."

He grabbed another sausage and continued to eat in silence. It began to dawn on Thalia that she was small for her age and weak compared to him. Admitting defeat, she handed him the third sausage, which he devoured eagerly.

"So…" she hedged "Have you seen your opponent yet today?"

"No," he said to her disappointment. Her mind was abuzz with thoughts of her savior, and she couldn't help attempting to steer the conversation in his direction. Masrur held out his hand. "I'm still hungry."

Thalia put the apple in his hand, holding up the napkin to show there was nothing left.

"I don't dislike apples." He closed his hand around the fruit, bringing it to his mouth and taking a bite. Thalia handed him the napkin to wipe off the dribble of juice that spilled down his chin.

As he finished the apple, he handed the cloth back to Thalia, using his arm to wipe his mouth instead. Releasing a defeated sigh, Thalia allowed him to do as he pleased. She'd been trying to teach him table manners for months, but he just didn't care.

"Do you have anything to tell me?" she hinted, noticing he had neglected to express gratitude.

"Not particularly."

"Not even… 'thank you'?"

"Thanks," he grunted.

"You're welcome," she sang just as the the jangling of keys alerted her to the guard's presence.

"Your time is up."

Thalia immediately switched back into her formal demeanor, putting on a performance for the guard.

"I will relay your gratitude to Lady Maader," she told Masrur.

He nodded at her, understanding her words were to keep up appearances. He was used to Thalia's swift changes in persona. He had witnessed them countless times since she first decided it was safe to open up to him four months ago.

She paused on her way out.

"Good luck on your fight today." He was going to need it. There was no way he could defeat a god. That's what she thought.

On her way back to the dining hall, she hummed a folk tune merrily. Now all she had to do was wait for news of Sinbad's victory. Once again, she heard the jingle of keys approaching, this time from around the corner. Thalia recognized by the way the keys clinked that Fatima was approaching. His march was distinct, brisk with an air of authority. She about faced, aborting her mission to return the napkin. Fatima had never forgiven her for his lashing, and he bullied her at every opportunity he got.

Before she reached the end of the hall, the jingling rounded the corner and then stopped.

"Echo."

Thalia turned around, a bright smile plastered on her face.

"Greetings, Head Slave Fatima." She curtsied to show her deference.

His eyes wandered to the cloth in her hands.

"Is that one of Lady Maader's napkins? You better not be trying to steal—"

"Oh my, no. A lowly slave like me would never risk being beaten over a napkin." She forced a laugh. "I'm simply borrowing it to clean up a mess." She was no thief. He knew that as well as anyone.

He huffed, narrowing his eyes at her. "You know very well that we have rags in the storage closets to use for that purpose. You are not to mistreat our lady's property like this."

Thalia laughed. "Silly me. I must be scatterbrained today. I'll return the napkin immediately and use one of those instead."

She attempted to walk around him, but he blocked her path.

"Since you're here, I was going to ask you to clean out the chamber pots."

Thalia held back a grimace. Someone had to do it. Fatima had obviously picked her because he hated her, but she was a slave. She was no longer above such things.

He continued, "Some of the children had food poisoning last night. I'm sure you can stomach the job though, right?"

Her smile remained intact, even with this unpleasant turn of events. "I strive to serve our lady in all that I do. I will handle this task with diligence."

"When was the last time Lady Maader asked to see you?" Fatima wondered aloud. "I think it was three years ago? To think you still serve her so well when she clearly despises you. I wonder how much longer she plans on keeping you around. You've almost reached your peak value, I'd say." Thalia's cheerful mask began to slip as his shrewd eyes scanned her, calculating the profit Lady Maader could make off her. "I'm going to advise Lady Maader to sell you soon."

Thalia understood this was no idle threat. Fatima judged the value of slaves for a living.

Pretending that she was motivated solely by adoration of their master, Thalia appealed to him in the only language he understood. "Fatima, we both love our lady. That's why I know you know how devastating it would be to have to leave her. Please, don't talk to her about selling me."

"Admirable," he praised her. "Your devotion is truly admirable, even if you're undeserving of our lady's love. You must realize, this will be how you can best serve her. Only a select few can remain by her side."

Was he talking about himself? Did he really believe he wouldn't be sold off as well one day? Fatima was really… pitiable. Thalia saw her younger self in him, blindly faithful to someone who would never care about him.

As she stared at him, he watched her with disdain. "I gave you a job to do. Go do it."

"Yes, Head Slave Fatima." She curtsied once again, scampering off to return the napkin and wash out the chamber pots.

Later that day, Thalia dumped the contents of the last chamber pot into the cesspit. She wiped the sweat off her forehead with her arm, squinting into the setting sun as cicadas began their nightly chorus. Fatima had not been joking about several of the children getting food poisoning. The smell was noxious, and she had nearly thrown up herself a few times.

She grabbed the heavy water jar, spilling some water into the chamber pot, then added some lye and began to scrub with a rag. She would need to wash off in hot water and soak her hands in wine vinegar so she did not get sick herself. This task was _disgusting_.

"There you are." Dinarzade's voice came from behind her. Thalia craned her neck to find her rival's sympathetic smile. "Fatima found something for you to do, huh?"

"He always does." Thalia turned back to scrubbing.

"We were wondering why you didn't show up to practice today," Dinarzade sighed, squatting down to Thalia's level. As soon as the scent hit her nose, she reeled back. "Oh, wow, that's rank."

Thalia hummed in agreement.

"Did you hear about the results of the match?" Thalia asked.

"Mm? You never care about colosseum fights." Dinarzade's eyes twinkled as though she saw right through Thalia's act.

"I just… I heard this guy is pretty powerful. I'm worried about Masrur…"

Dinarzade crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Echo. You don't have to pretend in front of me. I remember him too. I'd recognize him anywhere. He's very… distinct."

Thalia stammered, "I— I have no idea what you're—"

Dinarzade arched a skeptical eyebrow. "When I dropped the hint that he was here, you were so excited you literally ran off. You didn't even try to come up with an excuse."

"Shit." Thalia stood up and dumped the dirty water out of the chamber pot, fuming with humiliation. She'd been careless. Now Dinarzade knew about her mild obsession with the boy that had brought her back to the inn that day.

"I don't know how you're going to feel about this," Dinarzade said quietly. "He lost."

Thalia laughed at first, thinking it was a joke. Dinarzade wouldn't joke about something like that, but it was easier to believe that she was behaving uncharacteristically than to accept that her god had lost. As Dinarzade's face remained serious, Thalia stopped laughing. In the place of laughter, tears sprung to her eyes.

"You're serious? He can't… that's not possible."

"Masrur punched him so hard he passed out."

With a loud clang, Thalia dropped the metal chamber pot and began to run in the direction of the main building. She didn't know where he was, but she would find him. She would find him no matter what.

"Echo!" Dinarzade called out after her, bringing her crashing back to reality. She stopped, her chest heaving. "You won't find him. He's in the punishment chamber."

Thalia stiffened at the mention of those words. She still remembered that place— being put into a state of hypothermia, water being forced down her throat until she thought she was going to die…

But Sinbad wasn't her. He was strong and powerful. When she thought about it, his being here gave her hope. If anyone could resist being broken, it was him. He could help her escape.

She tried to focus on the reality of the situation. Until she found a way to get them both out of here, he was going to have to survive. That meant staying on Lady Maader, Fatima, and Kil's good sides. If anyone, especially Fatima, knew about her connection with him…

"Dinarzade!" Thalia whipped around. "Do you think Fatima remembers him?"

Dinarzade pursed her lips. "No. I doubt he does."

"The fact that he was there that day, that has to stay a secret. We can't let Fatima know it was him."

Dinarzade nodded. "He would treat him unfairly for sure."

"He'd do worse than make him clean out the chamber pots," Thalia said, thinking of the whip he always carried, the same one that had torn her own flesh.

Dinarzade picked the clean chamber pot off the ground. "Go get cleaned up. I'll take care of the rest."

Thalia nodded, thinking Dinarzade was more reliable than she originally had believed.

The next few days, Thalia was constantly on the lookout. Lady Maader couldn't keep him in that awful place forever. When he was released, she was bound to run into him eventually. Then the first week passed, and the whispers were he was still in the punishment room. She knew what Lady Maader was trying to do. She was trying to break him, the way she'd broken Thalia, but Thalia knew how an act of genuine concern could rattle the effects of that brainwashing. She'd experienced it herself. She was going to save him, the way he had saved her.

Thalia tread the familiar path to the punishment chamber, carrying her head high even as her palms sweat with anxiety. She had never tried to use Lady Maader's authority to access that area before. If word of what she was about to do made it back to that woman, Thalia would probably end up locked in the place she was trying to break into.

Forcing a calm smile, she walked up to the child watching the door and told him that Lady Maader had sent her to relieve him of his duty. The boy handed her the key and immediately scampered off to play.

While watching him leave, Thalia let out a sigh of relief, allowing herself to lose composure for a moment. She slumped against the wall, taking slow, steadying breaths until her heart slowed. The child hadn't questioned her. Lady Maader would never find out about this. More importantly, on the other side of that door was her god, her savior. She was finally going to be able to return his kindness. Once her moment of panic had passed, she stood back up, inserting the key into the lock and opening the door.

Thalia hadn't known what to expect when she found him. The boy she remembered had commanded lightning and ice. He wielded awe-inspiring power and towered over others with his personality, if not his stature. She certainly didn't think she would find him curled into a ball, his teeth chattering so loudly she feared they would crack.

She stiffened as her first foot splashed into the chilly water, willing away flashbacks of the time she'd spent in this room herself. Now wasn't the time to fall apart. He needed her. One step at a time, she hesitantly padded across the water before bending over Sinbad's shivering form and she placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Get up, Sinbad. It's time for a break."

"Lady Maader?" he asked weakly. "Please, I'll be a good slave. Just let me out."

"Don't confuse me with that wretched woman," she snapped. The insinuation that she might have anything in common with someone so loathsome made her physically ill. She glanced back down at him and instantly regretted losing her temper with him in his weakened state. He was likely not in the right mind. She assisted him to a standing position and helped him to the nearest room.

After settling him in a chair, she covered him with a blanket. and kindled a fire. Right now, what he needed more than anything was warmth. With that in mind, she brewed a pot of hot tea, remembering how helpful it had been for her when she had been brought to this very room. The "punishment room" itself was more a complex of rooms. Most of them were designed for torture, but this one in particular was an oasis inside the dungeon. It was meant to provide the children with pleasant associations when Lady Maader "saved" them from their punishments. It was her way of breaking the children down and controlling them.

Lady Maader wasn't in control now, though. Thalia was. As she prepared the drink, she intentionally didn't bring the water to a boil, not wanting to take the time for it to cool. She was too impatient to let it steep either. Instead, she filled a mug with the weak tea and handed it to Sinbad, encouraging him to drink. He sipped it eagerly, and Thalia sat quietly by his side as the tremors gradually left his body, occasionally refilling his cup.

Eventually, he seemed to regain his full senses. He looked down at her, squinting as though he were having trouble seeing.

"I know you…"

"We _have_ met before," she responded gently.

"Your name… was Echo wasn't it?"

Her heart leaped with joy. He remembered her name. Well, her fake name. "Yes… At least, that's what you must call me."

He looked confused, but didn't say anything. She didn't bother explaining either. No matter how much faith she had in him, he wasn't a god. He was made of flesh and bone and was every bit as vulnerable as she was. She could see that now. There was still a possibility he could be broken.

She sighed. "I'm going to give you some advice: don't stick out. Keep your head low and don't question anything. I need you to do that for me. She's trying to break you. I'm not going to let her, okay? I need you, Sinbad." Her plea came out sounding more desperate than she had intended.

Instead of responding, he just slumped further into the chair, his eyelids drooping.

"I can only let you stay here for a couple of hours. Any longer and we risk getting caught. Our meetings have to stay a secret. You can keep a secret, right?"

He nodded weakly.

"Good." She handed him a loaf of bread she had found stuffed in a cabinet. "Eat this and rest a little."

When he was done eating, she adjusted the blanket so that it was covering his shoulders, and he fell into a fitful sleep. She wished she could comfort him. She knew all too well what he was going through. She couldn't make the punishments stop, but she could make things a little easier for him. If he lost all hope, he would break. Thalia just needed to give him a light at the end of the tunnel to focus on.

Over the next weeks, what little reprieve she managed to give him still wasn't enough. In fact, she worried she'd been the cause of it escalating the way it had, well beyond anything Lady Maader had dared to put Thalia through. The torture moved beyond induced hypothermia— adults began to prod him with hot irons and insert screws into his skin, penetrating deep into the muscles. Every time she visited him, he was a bloody mess. She was going to lose him if she didn't do something, but she couldn't. She couldn't do anything for him except spend her free time pouring over medical texts she borrowed from the local pharmacist by dropping Lady Maader's name, trying to learn how to properly clean his wounds.

When she realized it was useless— the books were filled with jargon she didn't understand— she tried to remember how her maids had treated her scrapes and bruises as a small child. They'd used alcohol, but that had burned. He was in enough pain already. After days of deliberation, she decided hot water was the best option.

Once again, she snuck into the punishment room to visit him. This time, he was chained to a wall, wounds littering his skin. Thalia forced down her squeamishness at the sight of him. It was horrifying to look at, but he must have been experiencing much worse than horror.

She set down a bucket of hot water, preparing to clean his wounds, wishing she could bandage them. Unfortunately, that was out of the question. Someone would know she'd been helping him if she did that, and they would both suffer for it.

He'd stopped responding to her last week, so she'd started telling him stories, in part to entertain herself, and in part to keep him stimulated. As she dipped a sterilized rag in the bucket, she tried to think of a one she had yet to tell him. After several agonizing minutes spent listening to the slosh of her rag in the bucket and the sound of his ragged breathing, a story came to her. It wasn't a happy one, but few she knew were.

"Once, there was a beautiful maiden who served the goddess Asena at her temple. She was so beautiful, the water god coveted her. Though, it seems the water god coveted many women in his time..." She added the small aside, a bit of wry humor at the many tales that started with one of the gods coveting a pretty woman.

Sinbad winced as she began dabbing at his wounds. She stroked his hair soothingly with her other hand as she continued.

"The water god approached her, but she was a servant of Asena, and servants of Asena must remain pure. When she would not agree to lie with him, he took her by force in Asena's own temple. Asena was enraged. She cursed the maiden with a hideous appearance, turning her into a gorgon creature. From then on, any man who dared look upon her turned to stone."

She looked at the gash she was cleaning.

"I wish I could turn whichever guard did this into stone. Bastard," she spat.

His eyes were dead, but they were focused on her. She took that as a sign he was listening. She finished the story, telling him of how a demigod had slain the gorgon creature and used her head to create a shield.

She finished cleaning his wounds and stood up.

"I have to go now," she told him gently.

His head drooped.

"Hang in there," she encouraged him. "She'll get bored eventually and leave you alone like she does me and Masrur… though, I know that doesn't help you right now."

Part of her wondered if she was being cruel. Maybe it would be more merciful to tell him to submit. Picking up the bucket of pink water, she looked back to her former god. He was pitiable, hanging lifelessly from his shackles.

Despite her best efforts, it seemed he had been truly broken.

She left the room wishing she could have stayed longer. She had briefly considered it, but now she was glad she had decided against it. On the way to dump her bucket outside, she ran into the guard in charge of torture coming back from his break. She almost splashed the bloody water in his face.

The first time Sinbad made an appearance outside of the punishment chamber was during meal time at the dining hall. The other children gossiped nervously, afraid to approach someone who'd been locked in the punishment chamber for an unprecedented amount of time. Not unexpectedly, he chose to sit at a table by himself. Thalia left her seat beside Dinarzade to join him. She didn't know if he wanted her, but she would be there for him anyway.

The whispers died down as she slid her tray onto the table. Everyone was watching, but that was okay. That's when she performed best.

"Hello, my name is Echo." She pretended they'd never met before. As far as anyone, especially Fatima, needed to be concerned, that was the case. "What's your name?"

He didn't say anything. He just sat there, picking at his food. She knew he wouldn't respond. She'd already seen his state declining to this point. His silence was at least beneficial in that the children quickly lost interest and returned to their usual conversation.

She ate quietly, occasionally stealing glances at him, until Dinarzade creeped up to the table and skittishly joined them.

"Hi, I'm Dinarzade."

Sinbad made no movement to acknowledge her.

Dinarzade had never been one to be deterred by one-sided conversation. "I imagine this is hard for you. It was hard for me and Thalia too, but you get used to it. The food's not bad either." Dinarzade dug into her loaf of bread voraciously and continued with her mouth full. "Man, before I came here, this thing would have had to feed my whole family."

Thalia wasn't sure if it were better to allow Sinbad to sit in silence, or if Dinarzade's bright personality could coax him out of the dark place he'd withdrawn to. She decided to encourage Dinarzade to talk more, not that she needed much prompting. This was not the first time Thalia had been glad of Dinarzade's talkative nature, but this instance forced Thalia to consider that maybe she didn't give Dinarzade enough credit. The voluptuous girl had qualities Thalia sorely lacked, optimism and authenticity being the two most pronounced.

"Dinarzade, why don't you explain to our new friend how things work around here?" Thalia prompted.

The girl's face welled up with pride, having been granted this important mission. She began to explain the intricacies of living as a slave in the Mariadel company.

Once again, Thalia felt a pang of guilt for trying to speed up Dinarzade's sale, though, her actions ultimately hadn't done harm. All of the offers that had been made for Dinarzade had been rejected by Lady Maader. It seems she hadn't been ready to sell after all. Thalia felt she should apologize, but decided it was better if Dinarzade didn't know there was anything to apologize for in the first place. It would only hurt her if she knew the truth.


	5. Violation

CW: This chapter contains themes of child exploitation, sexualization of a minor under 16, referenced inappropriate touching, and otherwise abusive behavior. Please take care when reading.

* * *

 **Violation**

* * *

Shortly before Lady Maader and Thalia's falling out, Thalia had sought approval for the first routine she would teach her new dance troupe. The days leading up to this event had been an exciting time— Lady Maader had spent more time with her than ever, and she had received so much praise for her hard work and dedication. Thalia had never been happier.

"My sweet Echo," Lady Maader purred after watching the first run-through of Thalia's choreography. "That was lovely, but it's missing a little something."

"What would you like me to add?" Thalia asked, attempting to tug her midriff-baring outfit lower. She was uncomfortable with the sensation of cool air on her skin. Back in Attica, when she left the palace she would always be fully covered down to her wrists and ankles. Something like this would have been considered beyond indecent. Only a prostitute or hetaira would ever dare to show this much.

Lady Maader slinked behind Thalia, placing a light hand on her hip. The teen girl resisted the urge to squirm away. She adored her lady and wanted to please her, but something about the way the woman's hands tended to linger on certain places made her apprehensive.

"It needs a bit more sultriness. More movement of the hips… More accentuation of the chest."

"Lady Maader, that's…" Horrifying. Inappropriate. Degrading. "I don't feel it's very age-appropriate," Thalia muttered.

Lady Maader returned to her desk, putting on a motherly smile. "You're growing up very quickly. Surely you've noticed you've begun to attract the eyes of our patrons."

Thalia shuddered. She had noticed. It was usually just uncomfortable, but sometimes it was outright terrifying. Thalia didn't want to grow up. She wanted to go back to a time when she could walk through a crowd without being leered at or having unwelcome touches forced on her.

"I don't feel grown-up," she confessed, kneeling at the matron's side. "I want to be your child forever."

"You can be." Thalia closed her eyes as Lady Maader stroked her cheek. This was the kind of touch she enjoyed— chaste, affectionate. Her birth mother had never touched her like this. Back then, she'd believed these kinds of touches meant Lady Maader loved her. "Do as I say, and you'll get plenty of attention and bring in lots of money for your mother. As long as you can do that, I won't sell you."

Thalia sighed happily, wrapping her arms around her matron's legs. All she had to do to stay with Lady Maader was dance. She enjoyed dancing, and she was good at it— Lady Maader had said so. She could deal with all of the other things— the strange looks, the pinches and the grabbing, all of it— if only she could stay by the side of the only person who'd ever made her feel loved.

"But Echo…" Thalia opened her eyes to find Lady Maader's fond smile had vanished. "As soon as you stop bringing in money, I'm going to have to sell you."

* * *

Thalia's eyes burned from the dust of the colosseum floor, kicked up by her bare feet. The deafening roar of the crowd grated against her ears, but she kept her focus on the music. She was all gyrating hips and sensuous movement, an object to be desired by the animals crammed into every single seat in the bleachers. They screamed their approval as she and the other girls wove a captivating spell of lust, the promise that even the greasy old men that frequented these shows might have a chance with one of these young, beautiful girls. She had taken Lady Maader's suggestion to bastardize her dance to levels neither of them could have predicted.

She hated herself for it.

The music stopped and she smiled and called out to her fans. She hated them too, but she needed them to come back to her next performance. She needed them to believe she was attainable to them so they would be motivated to come back time and again. She needed to bring in money.

Dinarzade squealed as the crowd began to chant her name. The smile fell from Thalia's lips. The end of her time with Lady Maader was growing ever nearer. Soon, she would be sold to one of the pigs in the bleachers.

She glanced at the voluptuous blonde next to her. Dinarzade radiated joy even as sweat dripped down her face, trapping a layer of dust onto her skin.

"Dinarzade," Thalia called biting back her jealousy, "let's go."

Dinarzade flashed one more appreciative smile at the audience and gave a small wave before catching up with Thalia and the two other dancers. They sought refuge in the pit where gladiators and large, exotic animals were kept before battles.

Buckets of water lie in wait for them to rinse off with, along with a change of clothing that would allow Thalia to reclaim some dignity. Dinarzade stripped down, still raving about what had just happened.

"I can't believe so many people liked me!"

As Thalia took off her own clothing, her first instinct was to cut Dinarzade down with cruel words. She bit her tongue and instead tried to be supportive.

"You've been practicing hard lately. You earned it."

"It's because of your choreography, though," Dinarzade insisted. "We would be lost without you."

"I wonder…" Thalia mused bitterly as she dipped a rag with water and began to wash the sweat and sand off herself. Dinarzade was beautiful— perfect porcelain skin, eyes like green clouds, and short blonde hair with just a hint of a wave to it. Not to mention, her assets, an area in which Thalia couldn't even begin to compare.

Thalia didn't want more attention than she already got, but she needed it.

"It's true," Dinarzade insisted. "Plus, you haven't been able to practice much thanks to Fatima."

Fatima had been bullying her relentlessly, as always. Yesterday, he had made her run across the island three times to pick up different items, pretending he had forgotten to mention something each time.

"Let's be honest," one of the other dancers, Finn, said wryly. "Echo, your boobs are nonexistent. Dinarzade's are huge. Popularity has nothing to with any kind of skill or talent. It's all about what's on the outside."

Thalia shrugged at her small breasts as she continued to wipe the grime off herself. There was nothing she could do about them except maybe start stuffing her costume. She made a mental note to bring tissues to the next performance.

"Echo is just a slow bloomer," the other girl, Shamhat, piped up. "She'll catch up."

"I hope so," Finn lamented. "It's bad enough you have those scars—"

"Shut up, Finn," Shamhat snapped. "You know she didn't deserve that lashing. Lady Maader agreed. Are you questioning her decisions?"

"I'm just saying if she had any respect for Lady Maader she wouldn't have gotten herself into that situation in the first place. Now she's damaged goods."

That's right. Thalia was damaged goods. It wasn't just the scars— she was just a bitter, angry person. She didn't have any friends besides Marcus and Masrur, and she was pretty sure Masrur only spent time with her because he didn't care enough either way to tell her to go away.

"Lady Maader is merciful," Dinarzade squeaked. "She doesn't care that Echo has a couple of scars."

Thalia smiled uncomfortably, keenly aware of the pale stripes on her back that were the subject of this conversation. The current dialogue was a perfect example of why she couldn't let her guard down around the others. For them, in the end, everything boiled down to "what would please Lady Maader?" They were her children, after all.

"Well, well well," a deep, masculine voice greeted the naked girls. Thalia instinctively grabbed a wad of clothing, attempting to cover herself.

"Oh my god."

"What the hell, Marcus?"

She turned her head to see the intruder that had violated their sanctuary. Marcus reclined lazily against the wall, his eyes like turbulent cerulean seas planted firmly on her. His gentle laughter swept across the floor, nestling in her ears. "Relax, ladies. I only have eyes for one person in this room."

Finn and Shamhat exchanged jealous glances.

"We all know who that is," Shamhat sighed. "They're so cute."

"Yup," Finn agreed, resuming the process of dressing. "If you ever realize she's a waste of your time…"

"I don't think that's going to happen," he smirked. Thalia was still frantically trying to adjust her makeshift covering when he strode over and whispered in her ear, "Relax. I already saw everything."

"Who let you in here?" Dinarzade commanded as Thalia dropped the bundle of clothes onto the muddy, straw-covered floor in shock. Burning with humiliation, she picked up her newly muddied clothing and slipped it over her vulnerable body.

He chuckled. "You're that little girl that follows Echo around, aren't you?" His eyes drifted lower on Dinarzade's figure. "Well, not so little anymore."

Thalia finally gathered herself back together enough to become indignant. She repeated Dinarzade's question. "Who let you in here? There should be a guard outside."

"Echo," he purred. "Don't sound so angry. I'm an Alexius. Who's going to turn me down?" He moved to stroke Thalia's face, but she deftly dodged his gesture of affection. His face contorted briefly before melding into an injured expression. "My lady is as aloof as ever."

"He called her 'my lady'," Shamhat swooned. "Oh my god, I'm so jealous. Are you going to buy her?"

Grinning, he responded, "That's why I'm here, actually. May I have a moment alone with your lovely friend?"

"No." Dinarzade's voice sounded cold and foreign. Her eyes fixed on Marcus with suspicion. "Echo and our Master's reputations are linked. If we allow you to be alone with her and something happens, it will bring dishonor on both of them."

Thalia furrowed her eyebrows, trying to decipher her friend's uncharacteristic behavior. Dinarzade was usually sunny and kind. She usually saw the good in everyone, but somehow she had instantly mistrusted Marcus.

"Come on," Shamhat groaned. "They're in love. The whole island knows about the star-crossed lovers of Ria Venus Island— one born into Reim's most powerful family, the other born into slavery. Despite his family's objections to their romance, he begs her to let him buy her, but she always refuses for fear of his relatives' retaliation."

"That's… quite the creative story." Thalia couldn't begin to articulate all the inaccuracies in those three sentences.

"Who are we to be one more force keeping you apart?" Shamhat finished, tearing up.

"Echo is not going to be alone with him," Dinarzade repeated. "If you continue to encourage this misbehavior, I will inform Lady Maader—"

"Alright," Shamhat surrendered. "Geez, what's gotten into you?"

"Dinarzade, your clothes," Thalia reminded her, realizing the blonde hadn't gotten dressed yet. She was clearly too wrapped up in whatever her grudge against Marcus was to feel any shame at her nakedness.

"Fine, then. I'll say it right here, in front of the world."

More like in front of a room of naked women.

He took her hand in both of his own. "Echo, I want to buy you. I know you've said no a thousand times, but—"

"My answer is and will always be no." She stared at him defiantly. He needed to understand that she may be a slave, but she was never going to accept it. She would not let Lady Maader sell her.

His expression grew dark. "For two years, I've pretended to be your fucking friend, and you still—!" He caught himself, clenching his jaw instead.

"Marcus, chill…" Finn and Shamhat looked shocked.

Thalia wasn't any less shaken. Marcus had never spoken to her this way. He'd always been pushy but kind. He didn't yell at her. He didn't call their friendship pretend.

Dinarzade shoved her way between Thalia and Marcus. "If you don't leave, I'll scream. It'll ruin your reputation if you're caught in a room of frightened undressed girls. Is that what you really want?"

Marcus gave Dinarzade a sneer. "Who's going to believe you? All of Reim knows who I am. You four? You're slaves. The worst that will happen is I'll have to pay Maader Umm Mariadel compensation for damaging her property. My reputation is fine."

"Marcus, we thought you were cool. What is this?" Finn finished tugging on her clothing and approached him. "You might have the legal right to talk to us like this, but we thought you were better than that. Echo already said no. Drop it."

"You don't care about her at all," Shamhat said quietly, pulling on her skirt and blouse. "A man would never raise his voice at the woman he loves like that." She positioned herself by Thalia's side, staring him down. "You should leave. You've humiliated her enough."

Marcus shook his head. "Just answer one question, Echo. I heard you've been spending a lot of time with a new guy. Is it true?"

Thalia stared at Marcus incredulously. "Not really. I've been eating meals with him for about three weeks, but that's it. He barely talks." Was Marcus jealous? He didn't have any right to be. She wasn't his lover. It was like he thought he was entitled to her, but he wasn't. Nobody was. No one would ever be.

"You should stay away from him," Marcus warned as he walked toward the door. "Don't forget, I can buy you anytime I want. I've been holding back as a favor to you because I want you to come to me willingly, but if I see someone else threatening my property, I won't hesitate to claim what's mine."

Thalia stood silently after he left, staring at her own feet. She was humiliated. She felt violated, and Marcus… this wasn't the guy she'd considered her friend. This was like a different person entirely. Had he always been like this? Or had he changed? Or maybe… he was just having a bad day. That had to be it. There was no way the Marcus she had known before had been a lie.

"What the hell was that?" Finn mumbled, staring at Thalia's muddy clothes. "I thought he was better than this. What a jerk."

"Seriously," Shamhat agreed, wrapping an arm around Thalia. "I'm so sorry I said you were cute together."

Dinarzade turned around, pulling Thalia into an embrace. "You shouldn't trust that guy. Maybe he's been nice to you in the past, but he gives off dangerous vibes. You saw how quickly he lost his temper when he didn't get his way. He's getting impatient because you don't fall for his good-guy act. He's not someone you should be alone with."

Thalia didn't know what to do with all this support. Marcus had frightened her just now, but when she started shaking, it wasn't because of him. It was because she was starting to think maybe she had friends after all, and she was overwhelmed with gratitude. Maybe they'd been her friends this whole time. Maybe she'd just been too standoffish and prideful to accept it.

"Should we tell Lady Maader about this?" Shamhat wondered aloud.

"Of course, you numbnut," Finn scolded her.

Then Thalia remembered she was alone, even though Dinarzade was stroking her hair tenderly. As long as these girls belonged to Lady Maader, Thalia would never be able to call them friends. Their loyalty would never be to her. She could never trust them with her true feelings.

She gently pushed Dinarzade off her. "I'm fine."

"Let's go get you a fresh change of clothing," Finn suggested, tugging on Thalia's arm. She stiffened, an unwelcome feeling of warmth and reassurance flooding her senses. It tempted her to trust this other girl completely, to allow herself to become vulnerable. She jerked her arm out of Finn's grasp, following her willingly instead.

If Thalia let them touch her, she might start to trust them, and trusting the wrong people here was dangerous.

* * *

That night, when Thalia and Dinarzade joined Sinbad and his roommates, they exchanged their usual guarded conversation.

"Did anything interesting happen today?" Dinarzade asked brightly, back to her usual self.

Sinbad gave a rare, gentle smile. "Today, we got in a new shipment. One of the children was sick, and Lady Maader praised me for suggesting we give her medicine."

"Wow!" Dinarzade exclaimed cheerfully. "Lady Maader is so generous. A sick slave isn't very valuable, so they usually get discarded. It's really sad, but… you know. That's just how things are."

"Yeah," Thalia agreed hesitantly. "Lady Maader was really generous."

Thalia didn't believe for a second that Lady Maader had paid for the medicine this child needed. She'd probably just told him whatever he'd wanted to hear and disposed of the girl anyway.

"I'm so jealous of you, Sinbad," Dinarzade whined. "Lady Maader gives you so much attention. She used to give Echo a lot of attention too. I never understood why she suddenly stopped."

Thalia smiled demurely. "Our Lady is very busy. She can't spend time with every child. We shouldn't fall into the trap of thinking the amount of time spent with us signifies any true preference." She looked Sinbad in the eye pointedly, hoping he would understand her double meaning. Just because Lady Maader was spending time with him didn't mean she loved him. That woman was incapable of love.

Sinbad stared back at her with tired eyes, as though he understood what she was saying, but he was too tired of fighting to believe it. Thalia decided she should scale back on her attempts to keep him on her side. It seemed she was losing this struggle with Lady Maader. Sinbad was Assistant Head Slave now, and the last thing she needed was for two head slaves to have it out for her. She was already struggling to keep her head above water.

"Yeah! Lady Maader loves all of us equally!" one of Sinbad's roommates chirped. Thalia's words had gone right over her head, as they were meant to.

Later that night, when they were done eating, Thalia began to walk the familiar path to her dormitory when someone called out her name.

"Echo!"

Thalia spun around, to find Sinbad had followed her. His dorm was in the opposite direction, so why was he here? A cool breeze played with his loose violet hair as he closed the distance between them.

"I understand why you dislike Lady Maader. I was… scared of her at first. Maybe she still scares me a little bit. I… don't know what to believe, actually."

Thalia took a step toward him. Was he asking her for help untangling himself from Lady Maader's web of manipulations? She could help him, but if she lost this battle, that would make him her enemy.

… but she had promised she would save him the way he had saved her. If nothing else, perhaps she could plant a small seed in him that would eventually dig its roots into his hardened heart.

He looked out to the lawn, where several children were playing and gave a small smile.

"When I see them like this, I think maybe she's doing a good thing. Maybe I'm just a bad child for questioning her."

"Sinbad, do you know what this place is?"

He quirked an eyebrow at her quizzically. "Of course. This is the Mariadel Company Headquarters."

"No, that's the name of the building." She motioned toward the expanse of the property. "This place is a holding cell. These children are slaves, every last one of them. They're going to be sold one day to people who consider them less than human. So she gives them food? 'Affection'? None of that is free here. All of us have paid for it with something priceless. Do you know what that is?"

He gave her a wary stare, not answering.

"Our freedom," she explained. "No one should have to choose between their freedom and basic human needs. If these kids don't have a third option, someone should create one for them."

"But," He looked back out to the playing children again, his face softening. "I think… if you just gave Lady Maader a chance… you would see this place isn't so bad. Everyone here is comfortable."

Comfortable? How could she be comfortable when she could be sold to someone who would treat her like property any day? How could she be comfortable when she had no control over her own life or even her own body? She had been tortured in this place, and so had he. She had watched him suffer beyond anything a human being should have to go through. Children were whipped for minor disobedience and even accidents that weren't their fault. Who could be comfortable with a place like this? How numb had he become to say that this was comfortable?

"Dinarzade said you used to be favored by our master." Sinbad continued, stepping forward. "I'm sure if you devote yourself to her again as a good child—"

Thalia shook her head, refusing to let him finish. "That woman… I dedicated a year of my life to her. She wove a beautiful dream for me, one where I was loved and cherished for the first time in my life. But I had to wake up. She doesn't care about me or you. She only cares about her bottom line." She took a step back. "If you ever want to wake up, come find me. Until then… goodnight."

She left him that night feeling dejected and hopeless. She had thought if anyone could resist Lady Maader's brainwashing, it was him, but he just kept letting her down. With Marcus acting like a jerk, It looked like the only person she could rely on was Masrur, but… he wasn't enough. Thalia needed more. She was so lonely.

Instead of going straight to bed, Thalia went to a terrace to practice her dance— something she now did regularly. These dances were not the perverse displays that she performed in the colosseum, but the lively, festive jigs of her home country. These dances worshipped the gods, celebrated births and marriages, and prepared soldiers for war. They had meaning and purpose. They were something she could be proud of.

As some of the smaller children gathered around her to mimic her, she paused to correct their posture or slowed down to show them the proper steps. Soon, she was the leader of a line of five or six children, prancing forward and leading them in a large circle, singing an Attican folk song. It was energetic. It was rowdy. It was carefree. Most of all, it was her culture, the one she was meant to steward as a princess. She was sharing it with outsiders, and the children loved it. Their reactions filled her with pride because they vindicated her patriotism. Even these children who had likely never heard of her small country could see its redeemable traits, like the joy its dances could bring.

She hadn't had a moment this euphoric in years. If she closed her eyes, she could almost pretend she was home, leading a dance to worship the goddess Asena and ask for another year's protection. It was almost like she'd never run away and abandoned her people.

For this brief moment, she didn't hate herself.

* * *

"Come on, Echo!" One of the children was dragging her along by the wrist as she stumbled along behind him. He was so small, and she wasn't meant to walk hunched over like this. "Someone's here to see you, and he brought flowers!"

Flowers? There was only one person that would give her flowers, and she didn't know if she wanted to see him. She was still angry and humiliated. She still remembered how violated she'd felt as his gaze raked over her naked body. She hadn't wanted him to see her like that. He shouldn't have invaded their changing space.

The child dragged her around the corner and shoved her in a chair across from Marcus, who was smiling at her like he hadn't done anything wrong.

"What's that expression, Echo? You're not still mad are you?"

Thalia refused to answer, looking petulantly at the wall. He should already know. The way he'd behaved was totally inappropriate.

Chuckling, he got up and placed the flowers in her lap. "I thought you might be. It had been a couple of weeks since you visited, and when I saw you dance like that, I just… I needed to see you. It couldn't wait any longer."

Thalia's hands wrapped around the bouquet tentatively, and she inspected the flowers he'd brought— purple hyacinths to ask for forgiveness. She placed them on the small table beside her and silently crossed her arms. It was going to take more than a few pretty flowers to get her to forgive him for invading her privacy and calling their friendship pretend.

He sighed, squatting down in front of her. "Echo, I know what I said back there came out pretty badly, but you have to understand— when I heard you'd been spending time with another guy, I just got so jealous. You'd never mentioned him before, so I thought you were hiding him from me, and I lost control. You do that to me, you know. I'm helpless when it comes to you."

Thalia uncrossed her arms and turned to face him slightly. If he said he was helpless… that all of this had been because of her… maybe she had been too quick to be angry. She was at fault here too. Friendships were a two-way street, and maybe she hadn't done enough to prevent him from getting jealous. Maybe she hadn't been clear enough that she didn't return his feelings.

"Marcus, I don't like you the way you like me," she told him sternly.

He sighed, bringing a palm to his forehead. "Not this again. Do you realize how lucky you are that someone like me even looks in your direction? You've got a pretty face, but come on… you're built like a child."

"Did you come to apologize or insult me?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in warning.

"No one else is ever going to want you, not like I do," he said, reaching out to stroke her cheek. This time, there was nowhere to escape. She was blocked by the back of the chair. Instead, she quietly tolerated the shiver his unwelcome touch sent down her spine. "Other men are pigs. They'll take advantage of you and hurt you, but I'm going to treat you like royalty. I'll dress you in the finest silks, and you'll never have to lift a finger. All you need to do is be my sweet, obedient Echo. Don't you want that?"

"I don't."

He scowled. "Then what is it you want? Jewels? A pleasure boat? A statue erected in your honor?"

"I don't want any of that," she told him firmly. "I only want one thing."

"Name it!" He grabbed the sides of her chair, boxing her in.

"My freedom. If you'll give me that, I'll let you buy me."

He let out a disbelieving huff. "Echo, you're a slave, but you're well taken care of. You'll never survive in the real world. Do you know what it's like for people like you out there?"

Admittedly, she didn't. Her entire life had been spent as a slave and a princess. She'd never lived a life that could be considered normal. She didn't even have a plan for what she wanted to do when she was free. She just needed control of her life and her body again.

"No one is going to hire an ex-slave," he explained slowly, as though he were talking to a child. "You'll get picked up off the streets and forced to work in a brothel where a parade of drunken men will force themselves on you and treat you like you're nothing. Is that what you want?"

"No…"

That was the last thing she wanted. Why did it seem like the only options she had involved having her bodily autonomy stripped from her? No matter what he told her, though, she couldn't give up. If she ended up forced into a brothel, she would find a way to get out of there too.

"I'm trying to help you. You know that, right?" He finally released her from his blockade, standing up straight again.

"I do," she confessed, gingerly picking up her bouquet and burying her nose in it. "Thank you for the flowers. They're lovely."

"Is that all you have to say?" He asked darkly. "You're still set on refusing me?"

"Yes."

She could forgive him for his outburst the other day, but she couldn't agree to let him buy her. She wouldn't allow herself to become a plaything— not to him, not to anyone.

He drew in a sharp breath, and she thought he was going to yell again, but he caught himself this time. Instead, he gave her his signature lopsided grin.

"You're going to come around, Echo. Just wait."


	6. The Plan

**The Plan**

* * *

"Fatima did what?!" _Dinarzade._

"No way… he wouldn't do something so stupid, right?" _Shamhat._

"I mean, this is Fatima we're talking about. Yeah, he would." _Finn._

Thalia listened to the conversation between the three girls intently as they all sat down in the dining hall for their break. Fatima had been so jealous of Sinbad, he'd tried to set the boy up, releasing all of the slaves from their cages and trying to blame the Assistant Head Slave. Thalia wanted to find it funny. He'd bullied her for so long, maybe he deserved a comeuppance, but…

A hush fell over the three other girls as he walked past them with his new owner, bruised and clearly abused.

No one deserved this.

" _She sold his body,"_ Shamhat whispered. " _She sold him to this guy, and she charged extra for his virginity."_

"Well, yeah, virgins are always more valuable." Finn rolled her eyes, not bothering to moderate her volume. Fatima tensed, turning around and looking right at her.

Thalia had seen broken people. She'd seen hopeless people. Right now, Fatima was both. His eyes were haunted. The fragile smile on his face faltered as he looked at Finn, who had clearly been taking about him, about one of the most traumatic experiences in his life, like it was nothing. Thalia couldn't take any pleasure in this. When she'd imagined the day he finally got what was coming to him, she'd wanted him to be angry and bitter, but still whole. She hadn't wanted him to have everything stripped from him.

Then, his new master tugged on the chain connected to the collar around his neck, and he was dragged along like a rag doll. Thalia felt a shiver run up her spine. That could be her if she didn't manage to escape soon. She could be sold to someone who would beat her— and worse.

"No," Shamhat continued once he was out of the room. "I was talking to the girl that takes care of the accounts. This customer made two seperate payments. You know what that means, right?"

Thalia shook her head. She wasn't sure she wanted to find out.

"It means none of us are safe anymore." Shamhat glanced nervously to the other girls. "She can sell our bodies without actually selling _us._ "

Thalia understood what Shamhat was trying to say, and it sent her into cold sweats. As long as they remained with Lady Maader, their bodies were safe. Lady Maader did a careful cost-benefit analysis of each member of the dance troupe, weighing the amount of money they brought in as performers against the amount of money she would make off a one-time transaction selling them to someone else. As things had been, so long as they brought in enough money, they were safe, but now their success was a double edged sword. The publicity they got from dancing already made them desirable. Plenty of men were willing to pay good money for any one of them. This new method would allow Lady Maader to essentially turn them into prostitutes. Everything about this revelation made Thalia's stomach churn.

"Suck it up, Sham. If that's how Lady Maader needs us to serve her, we'll just have to deal with it." Finn said, nervousness bleeding through her gruff demeanor. "B- besides, Fatima messed up. He was probably a special case because she was punishing him. We're going to be fine."

Despite the tears that were falling from her eyes, Dinarzade smiled brightly. "It will all be over soon anyway."

Did that mean Dinarzade thought Lady Maader was going to sell all of them?

"Damn it!" Thalia slammed her fist on the table, startling the other three girls. She had fought so hard to stay here with that wretched woman so that she could at least keep her dignity intact, but now she wasn't safe anywhere. Her time had run out, and Sinbad wasn't going to save her this time. He was too busy pretending this place was comfortable.

"Echo?" Finn asked cautiously. Thalia didn't answer. She was too busy brooding.

… If she was going to be sold anyway, maybe she should at least go with someone she knew well. Marcus had been acting strangely lately, but if she gave him what he wanted, maybe he would turn back to normal. Perhaps she could allow him to buy her after all. At least he was her age. At least she knew he was capable of kindness. There was a chance that if she asked him not to touch her, he would respect that boundary.

She pushed herself up from the table and left without a word to the other girls. She would go find Marcus first thing in the morning to tell him her decision.

That night, Thalia skipped dinner, instead going straight to the place where she practiced her dance most nights. She wasn't in the mood to skip around gaily tonight. Instead, she leaned over the banister, her stomach churning as horrible thoughts raced through her mind. She had failed to escape. She was going to have her body sold against her will. She could never return to her country— they would scorn her there. Her life was over. Everything was over.

"Are you okay?" someone asked, resting his own folded arms over the railing. Thalia jumped.

"Greetings, Assistant Head Slave Sinbad," she hurriedly greeted him. She hadn't heard him coming. Now, she needed to stay on _his_ good side— at least, as much as she could given that he was already aware of the fact that she loathed his precious master.

"It's Head Slave, now" he corrected her. "But why don't you just call me Sinbad? It's more efficient, don't you think?"

"Er… right," she agreed, unsure if that was supposed to be as corny as it sounded. She wasn't in the mood to laugh anyway, so she didn't bother faking it.

Sinbad scratched the back of his head nervously before opening his mouth again.

"I hope it's okay that I dropped by. Masrur told me where I could find you. I wanted to talk to you about something."

He suddenly looked very serious.

She waited for him to continue, the anxiety in the pit of her stomach increasing. She might actually throw up on him if she didn't do something to calm down.

"You helped me when I was being tortured—"

She stiffened. Why was he bringing this up now? Sinbad was Lady Maader's child now. Was he going to turn her in? She'd known this was a possibility when she helped him. She had been ready to accept the consequences...

...but that had been before everything with Fatima. Now, she might be tortured _and_ have her body sold against her will. In light of everything that was happening, she was now moments away from puking on Sinbad's shoes.

Still, he could have another reason for mentioning it. She would give him a chance to earn her trust. Taking a deep, calming breath to settle her stomach, she prepared for the performance she was about to put on. She was strong. She was capable. She was not going to throw up on him.

"So, what if I did?"

"I want to know why." His golden eyes gleamed with determination in the sun's dying light, but Thalia wasn't persuaded. Did he think she was going to open up to him just because he asked? A few days ago, he had been trying to win her over to Lady Maader's side. What could have caused him to suddenly decide to rebel?

"I want a lot of things I can't have." she responded. "But you..." she circled him intimidatingly, eyeing his fancy uniform designating him as a top slave— not that she didn't own a similar one. When she'd finished her lap, her eyes flicked back up to his face. "How can I trust you?"

"How can I earn your trust?" He seemed serious enough. Nothing about him seemed hesitant or deceptive. He seemed to earnestly want an answer.

She had nothing to lose— or maybe she had everything to lose. This was her first ray of hope in weeks, and she'd needed it now more than ever. Maybe Sinbad would save her, or at least provide her with a way to save herself. But, she couldn't rush into this either. If he betrayed her, she would be tortured again, and her savior was already lost. No one would be able to help her this time.

In that case, she could provide him with the tiniest morsel of information.

"Let's start with something small," she told him. Faking her confidence was getting easier the longer they talked. She was in control here. "My real name isn't Echo."

He drew back slightly as the words left her mouth, but his surprise wasn't as pronounced as she would have expected. Perhaps he'd already suspected that was the case.

"What's your real name, then?"

She hesitated for a moment before answering. "Thalia Alexandris." The name felt clumsy and foreign on her tongue, but it was hers. She was reclaiming it. She was reclaiming her identity, and, hopefully, her freedom. "I'm not like the other children here. When I was brought to the Mariadel Company, I was neither and orphan, nor was my family poor. Quite the opposite, in fact. My family was powerful— powerful enough that if my presence here were to be made known, it could seriously jeopardize the entire company."

Sinbad was surprisingly perceptive. He noticed her use of past tense when referring to her family.

"You think something happened to your family since then?"

She smiled bitterly, wishing he hadn't brought it up. The topic was painful, but she needed him. The least she could do is be honest.

"You pick up on a thing or two about the state of politics when you work around so many wealthy and powerful men and women. They don't have much better to do than gossip."

He shook his head, rubbing his temple. "So, if you're not a threat to the company anymore, why do you still have to hide your identity?"

"I never said I'm not a threat," she corrected him. "I was about to be married off to Reim's prince when I was captured. Kidnapping the future princess is an insult enough to send entire countries to war. Do you think they'd let Lady Maader off easily if they found out?"

The question had been rhetorical, but she paused anyway, studying his reaction. He seemed to be taking the news into serious consideration, bringing a thoughtful hand to his chin. He didn't have the look of someone who was about to go report her to Lady Maader.

"Of course, she knows nothing of the engagement," Thalia continued, resting one elbow against the railing. "She's not stupid, though. She knows that my family itself wasn't necessarily the extent of my power. That's why she would be quite interested in the fact that I've volunteered all this information to you." She looked at him pointedly. "I'm sure you would be rewarded handsomely if you were to betray me."

She would almost certainly be tortured if he reported everything she'd told him to Lady Maader. She would be tortured until she broke again, and this time, who knows if she'd ever recover?

"I'm not going to betray you. I want out of here. You helped me because you wanted something in return, didn't you?"

Yes. She had helped him because he was her savior, but she wasn't entirely altruistic. She'd hoped he could help her escape. She knew she should do more to vet him, make sure he wasn't setting her up in some kind of trap. She knew better, but the way his golden irises burned into her… it was the look of someone who was ready to defy his master. Not even she could fake an expression like that.

"You're exactly right," she told him. "I want you to help me escape."

 _Escape? Is that really all I want?_

The image of Fatima, bruised, battered, and being led along on a chain flashed through her mind. He'd been raped. That was where those wounds had come from. That man, Lord Zeutius, had violated Fatima, and he'd paid for the opportunity to do so. Thalia gritted her teeth, rage coursing through her veins. Fatima had been awful to her, but he'd only wanted one thing: to please Lady Maader. That woman had abused his affections. He trusted her completely, and she'd allowed something like this to happen. No, she hadn't just allowed it. She had _facilitated_ it, perhaps even _solicited_ it based on the timing of events.

That woman was truly despicable. Thalia remembered when she was younger, how she'd been so eager to please Lady Maader. She'd allowed that woman to touch her in ways she didn't like and struggled to keep others from doing the same without offending them because Lady Maader had said it was _normal,_ that Thalia should _expect it._ Nothing about any of this was normal. She needed to save the rest of the children. Fatima would be Lady Maader's last victim.

"No, not just me. I want to save every one of these children. I want to knock Lady Maader off her pedestal."

He gave her a sly grin. "I have to apologize. I misjudged you the first time we met. You're not timid at all. You're ambitious. I like that."

"Ambitious?" She laughed. "No one has ever called me that before."

"Well, now someone has." He crossed on leg over the other, leaning on the rail for support. "I'm counting on you for your help. I'm going to put my faith in you to help me make a plan to get out of here. Right now, I only see two options, and I don't know if I can live with either of them. I need you to help me carve out a third path, one where all of these children can be happy, and you and I can be free. Can you do that?"

She nodded resolutely. If someone would have told her that one day, her god would have come to her for help, she would have laughed. She would have told them they were being ridiculous. It turned out, her savior wasn't a god, but he hadn't let her down afterall. She could trust him.

He leaned forward, resting a large hand on her head. "Thanks for helping me wake up from a nightmare, Thalia."

Hearing her name from someone else's lips felt surreal, like none of this was really happening. She almost believed she would wake up and find out this was a dream. The boy who had once saved her was looking in her direction. They were equals. Her efforts to save him had been successful. She'd finally done something right. She wasn't weak.

She decided to cancel her plans for tomorrow morning. She letting anyone buy her.

"We'll talk later," she told him furtively. "Just go throughout your evening like normal. I'll come for you in the middle of the night."

He agreed readily, turning toward his own dormitory and waving goodbye.

 _This is it,_ Thalia thought. _I'm finally going to be free._

* * *

That night, Thalia stole into Sinbad's room, creeping through the darkness until she spotted Sinbad lying quietly in his bed. When he heard her shuffling around, he sat up readily. He had been fully dressed underneath his covers. She grinned proudly, wishing she'd had that kind of strategic thinking. His uniform was mainly black so it would help camouflage him in the darkness of night. It was much less conspicuous than the ghostly nightgown she hadn't bothered to change out of.

She motioned to him to be quiet and follow her, turning around to leave the room. That was when she saw one of Sinbad's roommates sitting up in his bed, watching them silently. Thalia froze, locking eyes with the small child. Which one was it? It was too dark to tell. Was it the little girl with the braids? The boy with the spiky hair? They were going to tell on her, weren't they? If Thalia was caught sneaking out with Sinbad in the middle of the night, if someone believed they were plotting against Lady Maader, she would be thrown back into that awful room and tortured. She would never escape. She would only know suffering for the rest of her life. She stumbled back into Sinbad, her heart pounding and her breathing growing heavy.

"Masrur," Sinbad whispered, catching her, "It's okay. Go back to sleep."

Thalia's heartbeat immediately slowed. It was Masrur. He wasn't Lady Maader's child. He wouldn't tell on them. He'd probably even help them if she asked, but he was a growing boy. He needed sleep, not to worry about things like escaping slavery. That was her job as someone older than him. He was one of the children she needed to protect. She gave Masrur a small wave and grabbed Sinbad's large, trustworthy hand, leading him outside into the chilly air of an autumn night.

She really hadn't thought this nightgown thing through.

As they traipsed through the premises, Sinbad leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Where are we going?"

His breath was warm and tingled pleasantly against her neck. Something about the sensation brought an involuntary smile to her face.

"You'll see."

She was taking him to a quiet corner, someplace no one would accidentally pass through. She wasn't about to let them get caught. They had one shot at this, and they needed to get it done quickly or…

Again, the image of Fatima flashed into her mind.

… she could end up like him.

Her hand tightened around Sinbad's as she pulled him into a corner safe from prying eyes.

"Let's do this," she huffed. "Let's get out of here"

Sinbad slumped against the large, limestone bricks that made up the wall. "What are your ideas? Because mine is more of a last-resort type deal."

"Right." Thalia began pacing back and forth in circles. "So, how do you drive someone out of business? You're the head of a company. What are your biggest threats?"

"You think I haven't already exhausted all my knowledge?" he responded skeptically.

"Maybe you have," Thalia agreed, "but I haven't. Maybe I can think of something you haven't."

Sinbad raised his thumb to his chin thoughtfully.

"One method is to drive down the market value of the product a company sells."

Thalia pursed her lips, shaking her head brusquely. "How are two slaves going to do that?"

"I told you," Sinbad sighed, burying his head in his arms and tugging on his ponytail. "I've thought of everything."

"Just keep going," she prodded him. "We can't give up yet."

 _My chastity is at stake._

"Another threat would be an increase the cost of production." He lifted his head and raised his eyebrows at her. "Any ideas on how to do that from here?"

She sighed. "We don't have the influence."

"Damn it. I used to be the most powerful guy in the world, and now I can't even help myself." He ran his fingers through his scalp frustratedly. "The third threat is a decrease in demand. If people just stopped buying slaves, they'd lose their value and this place couldn't make any profit. It would have to liquidate its inventory and go bankrupt."

Thalia sighed. "That's impossible. Slavery is too ingrained in the culture. Two slaves are never going to change that. Besides, liquidating inventory is just a fancy term for selling us at a discount, right?" She threw herself onto the ground next to him. "So that's it? There's nothing we can do?"

Sinbad was quiet for a moment before he spoke. "There is a fourth option."

She stared at him expectantly, waiting for him to continue.

"There's power in numbers. If all the children revolted against Lady Maader, we could take our power back and—"

"No." Thalia didn't even let him finish. Something like that would result in casualties, and there was no guarantee the government wouldn't execute the survivors to send a message to any other slaves with thoughts of rebellion. She needed to protect these children— all of them. She had failed the people of Attica, but she was not going to let these kids down. "There has to be a solution. We're just _not thinking hard enough._ "

She tried to remember what she had been taught at the palace. People were always out to undermine a king and the people around him. It would be her duty as a queen to outmaneuver them, stop them at every turn. She was supposed to be clever. Maybe it didn't come naturally to her, but she was going to _try,_ damn it. Surely, her eavesdropping had provided her with something useful, hadn't it? She poured through the years of information she'd collected, sifting through it for anything useful. Gossip, gossip, gossip… that's all these rich people did, but… surely some of it had been political, something she could _use._ Then it came to her.

"That's it!" She snapped her fingers excitedly, startling Sinbad. "The emperor is wary of large trading companies like this, right? I've heard patrons talk about it dozens of times— how this place has too much power and how he's looking for excuses to shut it down."

Sinbad nodded thoughtfully, a glimmer of hope crossing his face.

"Poison is also highly illegal." His expression fell, but she continued anyway. "If we plant it in Lady Maader's room and manage to report her to the right people, she'll be banished and we'll all be seized by the government."

Sinbad sighed. "So we just shuffle around masters. That's your suggestion? They'll probably send us to work in the quarry. At least as high-class slaves, we have a life-expectancy beyond twenty."

Thalia shook her head, propping herself up to face him. "They'll _liquidate_ us because there are so many. A sudden flood of masterless slaves like this would decrease the market value, and your company, Sinbad, will be positioned soundly as the most successful in Reim. If anyone could afford to take all of us off their hands, it's you. Return the kids with families to their parents and offer assistance with basic needs so they don't go hungry again. Become a philanthropist with all that extra cash. Keep the rest of us on as employees. Surely a company as big as yours can find a place for a few dozen highly trained workers."

A hint of a smile touched his lips. "Okay. I'm almost on board, but the poison is a terrible idea. Would you even know where to obtain it?"

No, but maybe poison wasn't the only thing that could cause a stir. The last time she'd tried to reveal her identity to someone who could save her, she'd been caught and tortured, but she had Sinbad to protect her now, and he had the connections she needed to be _sure_ her letter got where it needed to be.

"I have another plan. Remember what I told you earlier? I have the power to shut down this whole place with my name. You know what's more illegal than poison? Kidnapping a the prince's fiancee. That's _treason._ "

Sinbad grew rigid as her words sank in.

"I just need to get a letter to someone powerful enough to gain an audience with the emperor. Therein lies my problem. The only people I come across with that kind of power can't be trusted. Last time I tried something like this, it backfired." She raised herself to her knees, grabbing his arm excitedly. "But I think you can help me."

He took in a shaky breath. "I have the connections to make your plan happen… we can do this… My company is large enough that gaining an audience with the emperor would be simple. It might take some time, but… it's just a matter of patience."

She nodded enthusiastically, impressed with his ability to guess what she'd been thinking. She hadn't even needed to explain. He'd just known.

"But," He paused, as i mulling something over, "how will we get the letter to Sindria Trading Company?"

Thalia grinned excitedly. She already had an answer for him. "Next week, the dance troupe and I are going to the mainland to perform. After the incident when we met, I'm not allowed to go anywhere outside the island without an escort. Who do you think Lady Maader will choose for that job?"

"You think she'll choose me?" He sounded dubious.

"You are currently her most trusted slave. When the moment is right, we can steal away and deliver the letter into trustworthy hands. Are you up for it?"

A wide grin splayed across his face. This was the first time he'd smiled like this since coming to this dreadful place, and Thalia was struck by the beauty of his confidence. This was the boy she remembered. This was her savior.

"Yes," he told her. "I'm up for it."

* * *

As Thalia had predicted, Sinbad was assigned to be her escort for the performances. Sinbad had reported the good news during dinner. He had remained distant and courteous for the sake of appearances— no one knew about their two private meetings yesterday except Masrur— but Thalia could already read him a little bit. His eyes shone with excitement as he told her they would be spending a _lot_ of time together soon. They could use this time to pull off their master plan.

But until then, Thalia was stuck on the island practicing with three strained girls, all terrified that Lady Maader could sell their bodies at any moment. It was amazing how deftly they juggled their admiration of their master with their fear of her abuses. It was like their was a partition in their minds that wouldn't let them see that they shouldn't have to live like this, that they were being abused.

Thalia collapsed onto the dirt ground after a particularly grueling practice session, running a towel over her dripping forehead.

"God…" Finn groaned, dropping to her knees next to Thalia. "I can't wait to get off this fucking island.."

Shamhat sprawled out on Thalia's other side, her thick, curly hair splaying out under her head. "I don't think she'd sell us when we're on the mainland," she agreed.

Dinarzade nodded, settling herself cross-legged across from Thalia. "Since Sinbad's coming with us, I feel safe. He seems really dependable. He wouldn't let anything happen."

"Is that really okay? Marcus told Echo to stay away from him, and now they're going to be spending the whole week together. If Marcus finds out, I feel like he might try to hurt her..." Shamhat buried her face in her hands. "He honestly scared me that day."

"If he lays a finger on her, I'll take off his whole hand," Finn growled. "Echo is the reason we've all be able to stay with Lady Maader for so long. If it wasn't for her choreography, we would have been sold to some entitled pig like him a long time ago."

Thalia glanced at Dinarzade, who remained quiet. She was staring in her own lap and pulling at a tuft of grass beside her.

"I don't think Marcus will hurt me," Thalia confessed quietly. "He already came and apologized. He acted strangely last time, but we've known each other for years and he was always nice. Maybe he was just having a bad day."

"No," Dinarzade said quietly. "That was the real him. You guys think just because he has a pretty face and a good reputation that he's a decent guy. He's not. He can hide all the terrible things he does from the world because no one wants to believe someone who does so much good can do just as much harm, but I see it every time I look at him— he's rotting inside. He has been for years. You should stay away from him, Echo."

Thalia shook her head. "That day was the first time you ever even talked to him, Dinarzade. I've known him a long time. He's a good guy. A lot of men have treated me badly, but he's not one of them. Something was just bothering him and he took it out on me. That's all."

"You shouldn't stick up for him," Finn snapped. "He was clearly in the wrong. I don't care how nice he's been to you in the past, you do not let _anyone_ talk to you like that. I'm not exactly fuckin' nice, but he went too far even for me."

"Eh?" Shamhat sat up. "Finn is finally developing some self-awareness. Is she turning over a new leaf?"

"Like hell."

Thalia sighed, tuning out Finn and Shamhat's onset of bickering. The other girls… they didn't know Marcus, not like Thalia did. If they could have seen what he was like before, they would understand. She just needed to find a way to get her old friend back. He had been there for her when no one else was. She couldn't just abandon him now. Besides, he'd yelled at her once.

It wasn't like he'd done something irredeemable.


	7. Two Letters

**Two Letters**

* * *

When Thalia, Dinarzade, Finn, and Shamhat disembarked from their ship, a small crowd of fans was already waiting to meet Dinarzade. The blonde squealed with delight, offering to sign autographs and putting on an impromptu demonstration.

"Can we not do this?" Finn moaned, throwing her head back and dropping her luggage on the ground. "I just want to get to the inn."

Thalia, on the other hand, was genuinely happy for Dinarzade for the first time ever. They were no longer in a competition for survival because Thalia wasn't just treading water anymore. She was about to _thrive._

She glanced back at Sinbad as he joined them and gave him a secretive smile. He gave her a barely noticeable nod in response, and a thrill shot through her. The two of them were partners in this daring escape. She'd never had a partner before, and everything about this was foreign and exciting. Thalia hadn't experienced anything so scintillating for a long time.

Eventually, Sinbad had to break up the growing crowd surrounding Dinarzade and the stragglers that had begun to approach Thalia and the others. Thalia was amazed at the level of civility he managed in the face of the disrespect that was hurled at him. One man called him a worthless slave, and Sinbad simply continued smiling his polite smile and directing Dinarzade toward the others.

Thalia liked to believe that after years of constantly wearing a carefully sculpted facade, she'd become a fairly convincing actress, but even without her level of experience, Sinbad's performance was almost flawless. His only tell was that his smile didn't quite reach his eyes. They were empty instead, devoid of any emotion at all.

She was grateful he wasn't her enemy.

The first day on the mainland, there was no performance. They simply checked in at the inn and spent the rest of the day as leisure time. The girls paired themselves into groups of two— Thalia with Dinarzade in one room, and Finn and Shamhat together in the other. Sinbad had a room to himself, right next to Thalia's. If an overzealous fan broke in and tried to hurt Thalia or Dinarzade, they were mere seconds away from rescue. Thalia hadn't had this kind of peace of mind in years.

Dinarzade was the only one that retreated into the safety of their room. The others decided to hang out in the empty tavern. Finn and Shamhat sat at a table, playing a game of cards, while Sinbad was settled in a large chair by the hearth. Thalia took one glance at how he slumped in his chair and decided he needed company. She ordered a cup of tea from the bartender and brought it to her exhausted bodyguard.

"Thank you for your hard work today," Thalia told him sincerely, handing him the mug. When their fingers brushed, she didn't immediately pull away. Maybe it was because she remembered the last time she'd handed him a cup of tea, he'd been on the verge of hypothermia. Maybe she was just worried he remembered it too, and that's why she'd hesitated.

Something told her that wasn't entirely true.

Whatever it was, he must have noticed her reluctance to let go of the mug. He glanced up at her curiously, the light from the hearth flickering in his warm, golden eyes, and, for the briefest of moments, her heart skipped a beat. It was a strange sensation, like the tiniest of sparks, dying out as quickly as it blinked into existence.

She grinned sheepishly, slowly withdrawing her hands and pulling them to her sides. Whatever she'd just experienced, it was gone, and that was for the best. The only thing she needed to worry about at the moment was escaping.

Settling herself in the chair across from him, Thalia glanced at Shamhat and Finn, who were playing cards at one of the tables. Finn laid down a card, and Shamhat slammed her hands on the table, accusing the other girl of cheating. Finn responded with a smug grin, suggesting they play another round.

"It's strange that we can have normal moments, considering how not normal all of this is," Sinbad observed as he watched them, bringing the mug to his lips.

"From the outside, no one would guess that they're terrified," Thalia agreed. "That's the thing about survival. Sometimes you get so good at pretending, you can even start to fool yourself. That's how Lady Maader controls people. She makes reality unbearable and then provides them with a comforting lie as the only means escape."

"But you 'woke up' despite that," Sinbad told her. "You must be pretty resilient."

Thalia laughed, embarrassed. "That's another thing no one has ever called me."

"Then no one has ever given you enough credit." Sinbad stared at her over his mug, his eyes dead serious.

"I-" Thalia froze, choking up. Marcus had told her she was weak. He only said things like that because he was looking out for her. If she overestimated herself, what she was capable of on her own, she could get hurt. "I think you're imagining things. You don't know me."

He laughed softly. "No, but I'm starting to want to. If this plan of yours works, I suspect you'll make a valuable ally. I'd like to pick your brain more often."

 _Valuable?_ No, he was wrong. Thalia wasn't valuable. She was worthless. She had abandoned her country, been the reason for its downfall. Not one positive thing had come from her existence.

"If this plan works, it's only because of you." Thalia rested her chin on her fist. "I couldn't do anything by myself."

Sinbad took another sip from his mug. "As far as I'm concerned, you saved me from making one of the toughest decisions of my life. I owe you."

"I'm the one that owes you!" she blurted, incapable of accepting praise directed toward her from someone she admired so much. "The person I am… the reason I hang on even when everything seems hopeless… it's because…" She fiddled with her fingers shyly, looking in her lap. "That day you saved me from those men was the first time in a long time someone had treated me with kindness. You gave me hope."

Her shoulders hunched, her face growing warm. She couldn't believe she'd just admitted something like that to her savior. He was going to think she was a stalker.

"I don't think you realize everything you've done for me," he confessed quietly.

Thalia perked back up, waiting to hear what he had to say. What had she done for him? All she'd been able to do was clean his wounds. She couldn't save him from the pain. She couldn't keep Lady Maader from messing with his head. In the end, she hadn't managed to do anything.

He set his empty mug down on the short table between them and didn't continue. Instead, he stared silently into the crackling hearth.

Thalia didn't know what to say, and he seemed to be done with their conversation. Should she just leave or would that be rude? She clutched at the skirt of her uniform until her knuckles turned white, trying to figure out what she should do. She finally decided to stand up, thinking if he wanted her around, he would be talking to her, but as she shuffled past him, he caught her by the wrist, his grip firm and pleasant. Her stiff muscles instantly relaxed, coaxed into security by the touch of someone she could trust.

"I'm sorry I'm not talking much. It's just… sometimes I don't feel like I'm all here— like a part of me never left that room." She knew he was talking about the punishment room _._ "Will you stay?"

Thalia nodded, turning to face him. "Do you want me to grab Dinarzade?" she asked. "She seems to be good at drawing you out of your head."

He tore his eyes away from the fire to look directly at her. "Just stay for a while. Please."

When he let go, her body was covered with goosebumps. She struggled to tear away from his gaze, too entranced by those golden orbs; they crackled with a kind of electricity that reminded her of lightning as it crashed down into the sea. She wanted to know him better, to find out the secret behind his intensity. He wasn't a god, but that just made him more powerful in her eyes. What kind of person raised a trading empire from scratch within two years? How had he been able to capture two dungeons at such a young age? She knew his name was Sinbad, but she didn't know _him._

Sinbad broke eye contact first, staring back into the hearth. The chair across from him was still unoccupied, and she settled back down in it. She wished there were some way she could cheer him up, the way he had back when they'd first met, but nothing she was capable of seemed adequate. All she did was dance, and she was certain one of her performances wouldn't interest him. He always behaved like such a gentleman, and she wasn't sure she wanted him to see her like that anyway. It was too humiliating.

"You know, you and I are a bit like the heroes of my homeland," she hummed thoughtfully, an unexpected well of pride springing up inside her. "One time, during a siege of an impregnable city, we gave them a giant wooden horse. It seemed like a gift to create peace, but the horse was actually hollow and our soldiers were inside. In the dead of night, they came out and razed the city, leading to our victory. It's like we're infiltrating Napolia right how, only this time, instead of taking lives, we're saving them, right?"

A small smile touched his lips. "You always have the strangest stories. A giant wooden horse?"

Thalia laughed, recognizing he was right. "Would you believe it gets weirder?"

He quirked an eyebrow.

"You don't believe me," she realized with amusement, crossing one of her legs over the other. "Do you know where Lady Maader got the name Echo?"

Sinbad shook his head.

"It's the name of a nymph who pines away after a man who falls in love with his own reflection and drowns." Thalia dared to make a joke at Sinbad's expense. "That sounds like something you would do, to be honest."

"Which one?" Sinbad asked, a grin spreading across his face. "Pine away after a man or fall in love with my own reflection?"

Thalia giggled mischievously. "All I'm saying is you should avoid any reflective bodies of water."

Of course was teasing him. He might have been a bit cocky, but he had saved her, cheered her up, and carried her back to the inn. He'd even tried to defend her from Fatima. He clearly wasn't _that_ self-absorbed. Still, maybe joking like this was good. She didn't want him to know how she'd worshiped him, and this would act as evidence to the contrary.

He sat back in his chair and crossed his arms, amusement still tugging at his lips. "Fine. I'll take that as a compliment."

"How is that a compliment?" she gasped.

"Since I have such discerning taste, I'd have to be extraordinarily good-looking to fall in love with myself." He raised his eyebrows. "You just called me handsome."

Thalia burst into surprised laughter, carefree and mirthful. It was loud enough to draw the attention of Finn and Shamhat, who gave her questioning looks. Thalia knew they must be surprised. They had never seen her laugh like this. In all these years as a slave, Thalia had only shown this side of herself to one other person— Marcus.

"You're pretty funny," she admitted once she'd calmed down. She'd intended to be the one cheering him up, but somehow he was making _her_ laugh. "I've been thoroughly outwitted."

His posture was much more relaxed than it had been before, his arm dangling confidently over the back of his chair as he grinned in her direction. "Better luck next time."

Thalia beamed at him in return. She desperately wanted there to be a next time. She used to love bantering with Marcus like this, but at some point he'd begun to take it too far and his teasing had become actual insults.

When Shamhat and Finn turned in to their rooms for the night, Thalia and Sinbad implemented phase one of their plan: writing the letters. Sinbad's letter was an impersonal set of instructions for his company on how to proceed as the plan played out. It was concise, direct, and simple. He finished it within minutes.

Thalia's letter, on the other hand, was a carefully crafted plea for help, designed to foster sympathy and outrage. She detailed the abuses she'd suffered for years: her kidnapping— omitting the fact that she had run away— the groping and the leering, and her struggle to maintain her chastity, as well as her increasing fear that she might fail. Despite her very intentional plays to pity, the emotions behind the events Thalia described were raw and painful to write. At one point, she set her pen down mid-sentence and began to sob, burying her face in the crook of her arm on the table.

"Go ahead and take a break," Sinbad reassured her, placing one large, comforting hand on her back. "You're really brave for doing this."

Thalia sniffled. He was such a strange guy. No one called her brave or valuable or resilient because she wasn't any of those things, but here was this boy, her savior, telling her she was all of these things and the strangest thing was… he seemed to believe what he was saying was true.

She heard him pick up the piece of paper and the soft mumble of his voice as he read through what she'd written so far.

He paused after the first sentence, which contained her introduction, including her title and lineage.

"So you're a princess, huh?" He rubbed her back in small circles, soothing her into a limp bundle of vulnerability until her crying intensified.

His hand stilled as he got further down into the document.

Thalia finally raised her head after a while, wondering why he'd stopped. He was staring at the sheet of paper, his normally gentle features fixed into a hard expression.

"You've been living like this?" he asked quietly. "Even when you were helping me and playing with the children, you were dealing with everything you wrote on this paper?"

"It's the same for you, isn't it?" Trembling, she clutched at the fabric of her skirt. "She hurt you so badly, and I couldn't help. I'm so sorry… I wanted to do more..."

"You've done more than enough," he assured her, prying her hands away from her dress and taking them in his own. That surge of calm and reassurance his touches gave her was already becoming familiar, and, as she stared into those golden irises, the faintest of flutters rose in her stomach. "We're going to get out of this together, and we're going to get you home."

 _Home._

The word brought her crashing back down. Thalia's home was under subjugation. If she went back now, she would be killed, the way her parents had been. She quietly pulled her hands from out of his, returning them to her lap.

Thalia didn't have a home.

Sinbad placed the paper in front of her once more.

"I think you've written enough to catch their attention. Just finish it up."

She nodded, closing out the letter with a plea for haste in her rescue and a few flattering words about the emperor and his son. Then, she folded the letter and Sinbad sealed it with wax from a candle, after which they stood over their accomplishment with pride.

"Wanna go for a walk?" she asked him slyly. That was their code for sneaking away from the others to deliver the letters. Right now, they were alone, but he would know what she meant.

"Not tonight," he told her firmly. "Dinarzade will get suspicious if you come back too late. Let's just be patient. When the opportunity arrives, we'll take care of it."

Thalia nodded, trusting his judgement, and returned to her room to find Dinarzade sitting up in bed, letting out the top of her uniform again. She'd just adjusted it a month ago, Thalia recalled with annoyance. Had Dinarzade really gotten bigger _already?_

Then Thalia remembered they weren't in a competition anymore, and she relaxed. It didn't matter that Dinarzade had a bigger bust than Thalia. It was fine that the other girl got more attention. Thalia was safe now. She didn't need to rely on her body for survival any longer.

"What's that?" Dinarzade asked, eying the letter with suspicion.

Thalia shrugged, setting it down on her night table. "A letter from a fan."

"Oh?" Dinarzade tugged at her needle until the thread was taut, her lips pulled into a secretive smile. "You shouldn't leave it there. Put it somewhere Shamhat and Finn won't find it. If they see it, they might misunderstand."

"Misunderstand?"

"Lady Maader warned us years ago you might make an escape attempt on one of these trips," Dinarzade explained. "We're all supposed to keep an eye on you. If they see something like that…" The blonde looked Thalia directly in the eye. "... they might assume the worst."

A chill went down Thalia's spine even as the blonde beamed at her kindly and returned to her work. Dinarzade clearly suspected Thalia was up to something, but she had offered her advice instead of going to tell the other girls. Did that mean she wasn't siding with Lady Maader?

Thalia still couldn't take the risk of trusting her.

Watching Dinarzade like a mouse might watch a snake, Thalia slowly slipped the letter under her mattress. She was always underestimating Dinarzade, and now it might be her undoing. She needed to proceed very carefully from now on.

* * *

"Wanna go for a walk?" Thalia asked Sinbad casually as the other girls lounged around the inn's bar. Sinbad nodded, hoping that _this_ time they could escape without someone noticing. They were five days in to their week long tour, and still hadn't managed to deliver the letters. That was because…

"Where are you going?" Finn asked warily as he walked past with Thalia in tow.

… these girls were incredibly suspicious.

"For a walk," Thalia explained for the tenth time this week.

"I just think it's really weird that you're suddenly so interested in walks." Shamhat leaned forward on her elbows, narrowing her eyes at the two. "You've never gone on them before."

"It's okay," Dinarzade piped up cheerfully, jogging to his side. "Because I'm coming with them, right guys?"

Sinbad nodded along with Thalia, unable to protest. If it looked like he wanted to be alone with Thalia, they could be caught and he would be thrown back in _that place._

He never wanted to go back.

Even the thought of it pulled him back there, his memories of the torture bleeding into reality. He'd been dealing with it up until now by shutting off his emotions, but recently he'd found a better solution in the form of a petite girl who had nursed his wounds and lessened his suffering.

Her name was Thalia.

No matter how far gone he was, her presence always brought him back. Even now, as those thoughts threatened to overtake his senses once again, her gentle voice broke through.

"Let's go, then."

She grinned tenderly at Dinarzade, motioning for the other girl to join them even though Sinbad knew she must be terrified on the inside that their time would run out. She was good at pretending. That bright smile could fool almost anyone. It had even fooled Sinbad for a while. Even though he'd known she hated Lady Maader, she'd still managed to hide so many things from him. He hadn't realized she'd been living with the fear of being sold and raped, or that she'd been dealing with this since she was _twelve_.

He should have known, though. He should have remembered the Echo he met two years ago had worn the same smile even as she was led to be whipped. He should have remembered she was a master of deception, but he had let her fool him.

Sinbad wished he could reassure her. He hadn't told her, but he had a plan B. On the final night, if they still hadn't accomplished their goal, he was going to sneak out under the cover of darkness and deliver both letters to Sindria Trading Company himself. He didn't have a roommate to supervise him. He could take care of this all by himself, but…

He followed Thalia and Dinarzade outside, his eyes fixed on the petite girl, taking note of the defeated slump of her shoulders. This girl needed a victory she could call her own. If she didn't deliver this letter herself, she would find a way to give him all the credit, even though the entire plan had been her idea. She'd been put down constantly for four years of her life, and Sinbad had already decided he was going to take her under his wing and raise her up. Maybe he could even win this little princess over to his side and use her to gain a new member for his alliance. Or maybe not. He wasn't sure what the deal was with her family, but she had implied their power had diminished considerably since she'd come here.

The country she had mentioned in her letter, Attica… it was a small island city-state off the coast of Parthevia that had once been a great empire, and Fatima had told him Attican slaves were especially valuable, but other than those little tidbits, he knew nothing about it. Even though, as a merchant, he needed to have familiarity with all of the surrounding countries, he had never bothered to study this one, much less follow any news concerning it. The princess's country was that insignificant in the modern world.

"Is that alright, Sinbad?"

"Huh?"

Dinarzade had been talking about something and he'd been tuning her out.

"I was just telling to Echo that I wanted to go window shopping in the market."

"Oh. Sure, let's go," he agreed. Thalia and Dinarzade were sure to attract attention in the market, but it was nothing he couldn't handle.

Dinarzade shook her head, bringing out a scarf and wrapping it around her head, partially obscuring her identity. "I intend to go by myself. You two keep trying to be alone together, right? Here's your chance."

He stared at the unassuming blonde girl incredulously. She was more clever than he'd given her credit for. Had she offered to come along this time to help them? Every other time, Finn had insisted on joining them and watched them like a hawk. Now, Dinarzade was giving them the chance to accomplish their goal.

"W- We haven't been trying to…" Thalia stammered, her face drained of its color.

Dinarzade turned to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Haven't I told you? You can't lie to me, Echo."

Sinbad noted the way even though Dinarzade was looking at Thalia, her eyes had a far off look, as though she weren't really seeing the girl in front of her. It was strange. If she wasn't focused on Thalia, what exactly was she seeing? Did she just need glasses or was there something else there that only she could see, something that betrayed all of Thalia's secrets?

Dinarzade waved goodbye to them giddily, leaving behind a stunned Thalia and a relieved Sinbad. Dinarzade was a kind girl. He trusted that even if she suspected what he and Thalia were up to, someone as earnest as she was wouldn't give them an opportunity to carry out their plan only to stop them.

"Are you ready?" Sinbad asked Thalia, his heart rate spiking. This was it. This was their chance to save all of the children in that dreadful place. He'd been so ready to sacrifice as many kids as it took for his own escape, but this clever princess beside him had come up with a way to not only save every single one of them, but his humanity as well.

This girl didn't realize it, but she had saved him. She was still saving him. Sinbad owed her the world.

"Show me the way," she responded quietly, almost reverently. This moment must mean even more to her than it did to him.

Sinbad guided Thalia through Napolia's busy streets, leading her to the familiar commercial district. He knew this part of the city by heart. There was a crack in the street here, and over there was the fishing stall whose stench everyone else complained about, but which Sinbad found nostalgic. The grand building before them was Sindria Trading Company's headquarters. When he had met Thalia, he'd been saving up for this place, and he had more than met his goal.

In fact, he'd become so successful, he'd allowed himself to become comfortable, cocky even. He had bet his own freedom for the sake of his company, not recognizing its value. Thalia had been right. Freedom was priceless. Even his company and all its assets weren't a fair exchange. At least this experience had taught him a valuable lesson. Perhaps this was all fate. He wasn't confident anymore.

Lately, his ability to read the waves had begun to warp. He'd felt certain it was his destiny to sacrifice those children, but then he'd remembered Thalia's gentle rebellion, and suddenly everything had become hazy. The choice he was supposed to make… the choice he was making now… were they really the same? Would deviating from the path he was supposed to take have lasting consequences?

He wasn't sure, and, truthfully, it scared him. Then, the short, dark-eyed girl beside him looked up at him, her expression brimming with hope, and he knew he'd made the right decision. Nothing that brought that kind of joy to this girl's face could be wrong.

Maybe his ability to see fate was fuzzy for now, but he was confident it would come back. In the meantime, he would just have to believe in his own ability to make the right decisions, for her sake, and for the sake of the others.

"S-S-SINBAD!"

Sinbad beamed as Mystras's voice rang out through the courtyard and quickly found himself in the boy's embrace.

"We… were so _worried!_ " Mystras cried out between sniffles. "You're finally back! The others— they're going to be so happy! Just wait, I'm going to go get them." Mystras let go and backed away cautiously, as though he might frighten Sinbad off. "Don't move. Don't you dare move."

Sinbad smiled after his turbaned friend as he ran into the building, shouting and causing a ruckus.

He glanced down at Thalia, who was staring at him anxiously, and he gave her a reassuring smile. Everything was going to be fine. He was going to make sure of it.

"Sin!" Ja'far beamed from the entrance of the building, bounding down the stairs. "What are you doing here?"

Soon, Hinahoho, Rurumu, Drakon, Vittel and Mahad, and Parsine streamed out of the building as well. Hinahoho wrapped one big arm around Sinbad's shoulders, welcoming him back, while Rurumu uttered gentle words of greeting, and Drakon bowed politely. Vittel gave him a a guilty grin as Mahad nodded silently, and Parsine wore her usual cheerful smile. Mystras ran back out of the building and joined the crowd, hunched over and panting.

The reunion was only missing one person. Sinbad looked around, scanning the grounds anxiously, trying to spot a head of pink hair.

"Where's Seren?"

"She went to the market," Drakon informed him brusquely. "She wanted to do some shopping."

"Oh."

Sinbad had, admittedly, found her attractive in the past. He'd even flirted with her once before he'd been enslaved. She was haughty, but she also had a cute side, and before his ordeal as a slave, he'd been curious about what it would be like to date her. He hadn't planned on actually doing it yet; it was way too soon to tell if he liked her romantically. He'd never had a crush before, but if there was potential with anyone, it was her.

Right now, though, he wasn't quite himself. When he looked at girls, he didn't see them as sexy or appealing. Thalia, for instance— he could recognize she was pretty, but he had no desire for her, or for any other girl, for that matter. After spending time in _that room_ , he just hadn't been the same.

Still, even if right now, his interest in the princess was dead, he still valued her as a friend. He wished she could have been here.

Now that the top members of his company were all gathered, excepting one, it was time to take care of business.

"It's nice to see you guys," Sinbad told them sincerely, "but I don't have time for pleasantries." He motioned for Thalia to join him at his side. The petite girl shuffled over, untucking their letters from her top and holding them out with both hands.

"Who's this?" Ja'far asked, accepting the pieces of paper.

"Her name is…"

"Princess Thalia…!" Drakon cut Sinbad off, dropping to one knee in a bow. Sinbad glanced at the princess beside him, who seemed startled. Of course, if she had known Drakon previously, she wouldn't recognize him now.

"You know each other?" Sinbad asked his friend.

Drakon nodded. "We used to play together as children." Turning his attention to Thalia, he explained. "You may not recognize me in this state, but my name is Dragul Nol Henrius Govius Menudias Partenuvonomias Dumid Os Kartanon. You knew me as Junior, but these days I go by Drakon. Everyone… we all thought you were dead."

"Junior?" After a moment's hesitation, during which Sinbad thought she might collapse, Thalia stepped forward, lifting Drakon's bowed head with a gentle touch. "You've certainly changed. I wouldn't have recognized you if you hadn't told me who you were."

"Forgive my frightening appearance," he apologized. "A lot has happened since we last met."

Thalia's bright, joyous laughter lit up the air. "I'm so happy to see you again, no matter what you look like. Junior— Drakon, is it now?" Her eyes now glistening, she brought her other hand to his face, cupping his maw affectionately. "I've missed you so much."

Drakon's eyes lit up at her instant acceptance. Sinbad knew all too well how his reptilian friend was used to rejection from people outside the company. Even Serendine had called him a monster once, according to her maid. The sight of Drakon's happiness stirred something warm in Sinbad's chest. His heart had been closed off for weeks now, but this princess was slowly prying it open with her kindness.

No matter how heartwarming the reunion between old friends was to watch, Sinbad had to take care of business. He and Thalia had told the others they were going for a walk, and if they were gone too long, the Shamhat and Finn would become suspicious. Sinbad and Thalia weren't free yet, and there were numerous ways that vile woman could make their lives a living hell if the other girls reported them.

"I need you to deliver the letter sealed with wax to the emperor," Sinbad told Ja'far, pointing to the papers in the boy's hands. "The other is instructions on how to proceed from here."

Ja'far unfolded the paper meant for him and frowned.

"You're going to use your personal funds buy _all_ 347 slaves? Sin, that's…"

"All of this was Thalia's idea," Sinbad announced proudly, gesturing to the girl still beaming as she stroked Drakon's scaly temple with her thumb. Sinbad bit back a laugh to see his ornery friend behaving in such a docile manner. Thalia was certainly turning out to be a force of nature.

"Even with the steep liquidation discount, it will take you months to earn that back," Ja'far reminded him, tucking the letters in his wide sleeves. "Luckily, we've also been working on a plan, one that would absorb the Mariadel Company and all its assets into ours without costing you a single copper coin."

Sinbad gave Ja'far a solid pat on the back. He'd been so focused on survival and escape, he'd forgotten his friends were so reliable.

"I should have known you wouldn't leave me to rot. Proceed with both plans. It's always good to have a back up."

Ja'far bowed his head. "Understood."

Sinbad quickly wrapped up the reunion, bidding goodbye to each of his friends. He actually had to pry Vittel off of him. The boy was so apologetic, he didn't want to let go.

"Thalia," Sinbad called out to the princess, who was still doting on Drakon. "It's time to go."

She looked to Sinbad then back to Drakon. "But Junior…"

"We'll meet again soon, Princess," Drakon assured her. "Sinbad will take good care of you until then."

She nodded forlornly, slowly backing away from her childhood friend and returning to Sinbad's side. He was hit with a twinge of irritation at how reluctant she seemed to rejoin him. He didn't have the history with her Drakon apparently did, but he'd thought they'd gotten along pretty well these last few days.

Maybe he'd even started to consider her a friend.


	8. Dreams vs Reality

**Dreams vs Reality**

* * *

After the performance that night, Thalia shed her tight, skimpy costume, grateful to return to the safety of her slave uniform. She never got used to showing skin, no matter how many times she'd performed dressed like that.

"Alright, I'm just going to say it," Finn announced, drawing Thalia's attention in her direction. "Echo, you've been acting really strangely lately."

"Right?" Shamhat agreed. "Her smiles are brighter, she laughs louder, and she keeps trying to sneak off..."

"With the new guy, no less," Dinarzade agreed. "I think it's pretty obvious what's going on here."

"Y- you do?" Thalia stammered, breaking out in a sweat. They were on to her. They knew she was trying to escape. That's why she was more carefree. That's why she wanted to be alone with Sinbad. The other girls had figured it out, and now she was going to be thrown in that awful room again and tortured and—

"She's clearly got a crush on Sinbad." Dinarzade pointed accusingly, and the other girls nodded.

" _That's_ what it is," Shamhat concurred.

"I thought she was trying to escape, but this makes more sense," Finn confessed.

Thalia froze. She was faced with two options: tell the truth and be tortured or lie and sacrifice her dignity. It wasn't even a contest. She went with the lie. Thalia always went with the lie.

"You're right," She looked at the floor skittishly, clasping her hands in front of her. "I think he's really cute. He's just so..." Thalia tried to think of a reason she might have a crush on him. Was he handsome? How was she supposed to know? She hadn't been paying attention. He was nice, but that was no reason to have a crush on someone. Then, she remembered his eyes that reminded her of lightning, and she knew her answer. "... intense."

Shamhat squealed with delight, but Finn frowned, giving her a warning. "Remember not to get too attached, Echo. One of these days, you're going to get sold and sent somewhere else, and there's nothing he can do about it. You're both slaves."

Thalia nodded quietly. Finn was wrong, of course. Sinbad was going to buy her and set her free, and then she could do whatever she wanted.

… but what did she want to do? Sinbad had agreed to hire all the slaves without a place to return to, but her education had been cut short, and the only thing she knew how to do was dance. His company wouldn't have a place for someone like her. She would be fired in an instant and forced into a brothel. Anxious tears stung the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She would have to deal with with those problems as they became salient.

Once the girls were dressed, they joined Sinbad, who was waiting for them outside. Since the theaters provided their own security for the performances themselves, Thalia refused to let him enter. She didn't want him to see her in one of those tiny costumes making a fool of herself. She wanted him to continue to respect her, and she was afraid if he saw her like that, he would look down on her.

"How did it go tonight, ladies?" he beamed.

"Shamhat was off tempo," Finn complained dramatically, shooting the other girl a glare.

"Yeah, well, your form was terrible," Shamhat shot back, crossing her arms angrily.

"Everyone did great," Thalia told him truthfully. "Especially Dinarzade. You can really tell how hard she's been working."

"I think Echo was the star tonight," Dinarzade piped up as they began to walk toward the inn. "You should ask her to dance for you someday."

Thalia laughed nervously, wishing the blonde would shut up. She was not going to dance for Sinbad, ever.

"She's right, you know," Shamhat said, pacing ahead of Thalia and Sinbad. "There's a reason she has more fans than me and Finn combined. The way that girl's body moves could bring the best of men to their knees."

Thalia's anxious giggling had turned into mortified silence. Her face was so heated even her ears were on fire. She was ready to hide in a hole and never come out.

Sinbad looked down at her kindly. "I'm sure your dancing is wonderful." After talking, he returned his attention straight ahead of him.

Finn was sandwiching Thalia between herself and Sinbad, leaving an uncomfortable lack of space for the girl dying of embarrassment in the middle. Suddenly, the prickly brunette rammed sideways into Thalia, sending her colliding into the boy next to her. Sinbad caught her by the shoulders with ease, setting her upright.

"Are you okay?" he asked with a chuckle.

"You know Echo," Finn sighed. "She's such a clutz, especially when she's around a guy she thinks is… what did she call you? 'Intense.'"

Sinbad raised his eyebrows, and Thalia's execution by humiliation was complete. She was prepared to leave this mortal coil behind and rejoin the great flow. Unfortunately, dying on the inside could not spare her from having to face Sinbad.

The other girls dashed ahead out of earshot, cackling mischievously. This had been an attempt to either set Thalia up with Sinbad or humiliate her, she wasn't sure which. It might have been a little of both.

"I'm sorry about that," Thalia apologized after a minute of walking in silence behind the others. "They misunderstood why we kept trying to sneak off together, and I played along with it because it was a convenient explanation."

"You called me intense?" he asked, his lips twitching into a grin.

"Yeah…" she admitted after a brief hesitation. "You don't do anything half-way, do you? Someone who raised a company like yours up within a couple of years is…"

Incredible. Intrepid _. Intense._

"The company is just the beginning," he told her. "My dreams are even bigger."

 _Bigger? Like to increase the size of the company?_

"I want to create my own country and use it to change this unjust world," he told her, gazing off into the distance as though he were looking into his own future. "I want to make a world where people like you don't have to suffer."

Thalia had to stop walking to stare at him. Did this guy really think he was going to just start building on a piece of land and no one would challenge him? Founding a country was such an ambitious dream. He was being too idealistic. He would be crushed.

She watched him walk ahead of her, the wounds that had once pocked his skin no longer visible. He looked vital again. He looked like her god. Then, he glanced back at her, his golden eyes crackling with that intensity, and she knew what she wanted to do. She wanted to follow him. She wanted to support his idiotic, impossible, idealistic dream. She wanted to make his vision of a world without suffering a reality.

"What's your dream, Princess?" He kicked a pebble down the street as she bounded back up to him. "Go home and inherit the throne?"

That's right, she realized with a heavy heart. She was a princess. She had a duty to her people, and right now, they were suffering. She couldn't follow this boy. She couldn't help him fulfill his vision. She was born with a responsibility to protect her people, the ones she had failed, and this was her opportunity to atone. When she was free, she would have to find a way to take Attica back. That was her destiny, the role she'd been born to fill.

"I can't go home," she told him simply. "Not yet."

He seemed to sense her lack of desire to elaborate. "If you need a place to stay until you can, you can always come work for me. I've seen how good you are with the children, and you're intelligent. We could use someone like you for the young employees we're about to take on."

Thalia nearly burst into tears. The owner of the one of the most prominent companies _wanted_ her. He believed she was competent and intelligent enough to do a job properly, and maybe he was right. Maybe she wasn't going to be forced to work in a brothel.

"Please."

"Congratulations," he told her, holding open the door to the inn for her. "You're hired."

* * *

At the end of the week, the group returned to Ria Venus Island to praise and fanfare. The performances had been a success and Dinarzade's popularity continued its upward trajectory. Thalia's happiness for the girl's achievements was no longer fake. Gone were the days of feeling like she had to surpass the blonde to survive. Thalia was no longer terrified of being sold because soon, the emperor would come to her rescue. Fatima was no longer around to bully her, and Lady Maader continued to leave her alone. The final days on Ria Venus Island were almost idyllic.

Thalia had been back for a week, and had finished her dance practice today. She had intended to spend this evening by herself, relaxing among the barren rhododendrons in the depths of the garden. The air at this point in the autumn was chilly all day long, and she'd wrapped herself in the cloak she'd been issued.

"Echo!" Marcus's familiar voice called out for her as he trampled over beds of dormant lilacs and lilies of the valley to reach her. Thalia sat up and shrank in on herself, unsure which Marcus had come to visit her today— the nice Marcus? Or the angry one? He chuckled, picking her up by the waist and lifting her up in the air.

"Let go!" she complained, unnerved by the lack of ground beneath her feet and his blatant disregard for her personal space. "Put me down!"

"I heard you did really well again," he told her, setting her back on the spongy earth. "I wish I could have seen you. You always look so beautiful when you dance."

So, it was Nice Marcus that had come today. Thalia relaxed, stepping backward to put some space between them.

"This is two times in a row you've been the one to visit me," she observed. "That's a new record."

"I've been getting tired of waiting for you," he confessed, closing the distance Thalia had just put between them. "You take too long."

Truthfully, Thalia hadn't been visiting Marcus as frequently because he inevitably brought up the same topic.

"Let me buy you," he muttered, wrapping her arms around her waist. "I know you hate it here. I can take you away."

Thalia finally understood. He'd always couched his desire to buy her in words of adoration, but maybe deep down, he'd always just wanted to help her.

She sighed with relief, his persistence finally making sense. He must have realized she was unhappy here after she'd come crying to him so many times with tales of Fatima's bullying. She'd been annoyed by his refusal to give up, but his heart had always been in the right place. Marcus really did care about her. He wanted to save her, to be her hero.

Thalia gently removed his hands from her sides and held them in front of her. She couldn't let him buy her, but after she was rescued, maybe she could try to return his feelings. He was wealthy enough to fund an army and compassionate enough to lead her people. Thalia honestly didn't expect to find anyone better for the position of her husband. The world was full of men who might try to use her to obtain power, but Marcus had accepted her even when she was a slave.

 _So did Sinbad,_ a small voice whispered in the back of her mind.

Thalia's chest tightened as she reminded herself someone like him would never look her way. It wasn't her place to be with him. She was lucky to have someone like Marcus. She should be grateful.

"Marcus," she told him quietly, tightening her grip on his hands, "I have something I want to give you."

He bent down, pressing his forehead against hers affectionately. "What is it? Something you made? …or perhaps you've finally come around…?"

"It's neither," she assured him.

He straightened, raising his golden eyebrows. "What is it then? I'm sure if it's a gift from you, it'll be thoughtful."

The fondness in his voice brought an involuntary smile to her face. He seemed genuinely interested in hearing what she had to say, but Thalia couldn't tell him yet. She was just a slave. When the emperor rescued her and she had evidence of her identity, she could explain who she really was and offer him the position of king.

"Soon," she promised him. "I'll tell you soon."

A pleased grin unfurled on his face, and his hand broke free from her grasp, directing her back the the bench.

"Why don't we just sit and talk like old times, then. How about it?"

"Yes!"

Thalia almost cried. He was finally giving her the thing she had wanted so desperately. He was finally back to normal.


	9. Safe

**Safe**

* * *

Young Thalia was lounging in a field of violets, a warm, friendly breeze kicking up her hair. Her hands worked clumsily to weave a crown out of the purple flowers. It was to be a gift for a fellow princess, one worthy of perfection, so it needed to be presentable. Tucking in the final stem, Thalia lifted it up, turning to the girl beside her and nestling it on a head of lovely, pink hair.

"What about me?" Junior asked, reclining on Thalia's other side. "Do I get one?"

Serendine laughed playfully. "No, Junior. You're not royalty. You don't get to wear a crown."

He sighed, sitting up. "You two leave me out of everything these days."

"The only thing we don't invite you to is our slumber parties. You can't come to those," Thalia chided him. "You're a boy."

Suddenly, Junior stood up. "Does anyone else smell something burning?"

Thalia sniffed, the slightest hint smoke hitting her nose. She turned to Serendine to ask if she smelled it too.

"Serendine, do you—?"

 _Gone._ Serendine was gone. Thalia whipped her head back in Junior's direction, but he was gone too. The smoke was getting thicker, filling her lungs like a cloud of black death. The little princess was now scared and alone, trembling furiously. She closed her eyes and covered her ears, coughing out sobs through her burning lungs.

"Thalia, dear," She heard her sister's melodic voice call out to her over the approaching roar of fire. "Where have you gone off to now?"

As Thalia began to open her eyes, lulled by her sister's reassuring voice, a metallic noise cut through the air accompanied by a strangled cry. She was met with a gruesome sight— her friend Serendine standing triumphantly over the corpses of her family. Her beautiful pink hair was stained crimson with blood; the violet crown on her head smoldering, catching fire like the burning Attican palace behind her.

Thalia coughed and choked, scrambling backwards as the other princess's cold eyes turned in her direction. Serendine raised her sword to swing down on Thalia. The blood-stained princess opened her mouth to speak, but it was Thalia's father's voice that came out.

"You must always abide by the old ways, Thalia. Otherwise, the entire country will suffer."

Thalia thrashed and screamed as the sword came down on her, but no blow ever came. Instead, something warm and solid muffled her screams.

"Shh!" someone hissed. "It's just me."

Thalia opened her eyes. She had been dreaming again, only this one had been more vivid than usual. She propped her sweat-soaked body up, staring at the dark figure crouching by her bed. Golden eyes glinted softly in the moonlight.

"Sinbad?" she whispered, her racing heart beginning to slow. He motioned for her to be quiet and follow him, and Thalia obeyed on bare feet, not quite sure where he was taking her or why. Had he received some kind of report on the progress of their plan? She paused as he opened the door to the outside, letting in a draft of cold mid-autumn night air. Shivering, she realized she hadn't thought to bring something to keep warm with. She'd just woken up and followed him without thinking about what the weather might feel like outside. She couldn't go out there in her nightgown, not tonight.

"Give me a moment," she whispered, turning around to grab something to keep her warm. "I need my cloak."

"That won't be necessary," He grabbed her by the wrist, stopping her and holding out the cape of his own cloak. "I can share."

She hesitated, anxiously chewing her bottom lip. If she went back and rustled around to look for her cloak, there was a chance someone would wake up and catch her, but in order for sharing to work, they would have to huddle together. Was she okay with being so close to a boy?

"What's the matter?" he teased her. "Afraid I'll bite?"

Thalia had been raised not to have contact with boys outside her family, and, with the exception of Junior, she had followed that teaching until she had become a slave, at which point any choice she'd had in the matter had been taken away. Over time, she'd become comfortable with casual touch and conversation with the opposite sex— that was just how things were in Reim— but this was a bit more involved than a handshake or a pat on the back.

She'd only willingly let one boy get that close to her. Two years ago, this same person had carried her to the inn while she was injured. Deciding to climb onto his back was one of the hardest choices she'd ever made. Proper Attican women didn't do things like that, but her ankle had hurt badly, and she'd decided to put her trust in this boy, her savior. Now, their bonds had been forged in the flames of shared trauma and rebellion, and she trusted him more than ever.

She took a small step toward him, eyes trained firmly on her feet as he drew her closer to his chest, wrapping her in the coarse fabric. Thalia had forgotten his smell— like the ocean mingled with a hints of leather and sweat. She was certain last time they had been this close, it hadn't been so intoxicating. That faint fluttering feeling in her stomach had returned, only this time it lingered, spurred on by the solid heat of his body.

As he guided her forward, his arm draped around her shoulder, she clung to the the cloak tightly. At first, their destination was a mystery, but she quickly recognized they were taking the same path as during their last late night rendezvous. He pulled her into the secret corner she had shown him, and they sat down together, huddling for warmth.

Thalia waited for him to say something, but instead he stared quietly into the darkness, his lips pulled into a worried frown. The fluttering was gone again, replaced by the familiar churning of her stomach. He had bad news, didn't he? Everything they had worked toward had fallen apart, and she was going to be sold to some greasy pig who was going to force himself on her, wasn't she? Why was he being silent?

"What's wrong?" she demanded. "Did your friends contact you about the plan? Did something happen?"

He stirred as she questioned him, as if he had been drawn out of a trance. "No, no. It's nothing like that." Thalia's stomach settled a little as he gave her a guilty smile. "I'm sorry for worrying you. When I woke you up, you were having a nightmare, right?"

Thalia nodded at him, wondering if he was going to avoid her question or if he was going somewhere with this.

"Me too. I had a nightmare. This place… that room…" He seemed to be struggling to communicate what he was feeling, but Thalia already knew. She'd been tortured too.

"It won't let you go, will it?"

"Exactly," he whispered, his shoulders slumping defeatedly. "I needed someone to help calm me down."

Thalia put a reassuring had on his knee, pressing her shoulder more firmly against him.

"I understand."

She did. She was still terrified of that room. Until she had found out about Attica's fall, every single night had been spent reliving her time in that room. Now, Thalia spent her nights alternating between finding out about her country's fall and various renditions of the slaughter of her family, but she still sometimes returned to that room. It hadn't let her go either.

"You do, don't you..." he said quietly.

Thalia straightened as something warm wrapped itself around her hand, a gentle, comforting sensation that broke through every one of her defensive walls. It was too much. She should have pulled away. She should have restored the distance between them, but her fragile heart to trembled in her chest, withered and weakened from years of loneliness. This boy, he was going to breathe life back into her, wasn't he? And she was going to let him, because she trusted him. She trusted him wholly and completely to save her again and again. He was her savior.

As the night stretched on, Thalia found herself seeking to be closer to Sinbad. The cold was a convenient cover for the truth— his touch was healing her. Years of darkness, pain, self-loathing, and guilt seeped from her body, and in its place sprung hope, trust, companionship, and something else that she couldn't quite place.

They parted shortly before sunrise, just before their roommates would begin to wake. Sleepless nights were far from foreign to her, but this had been the first one she'd spent not replaying her terrible thoughts and fears since the night she'd realized Sinbad was on the island. She was exhausted but cheerful, giving extra praise to her fellow dancers and treating the children with extraordinary attentiveness.

Over the next two weeks, the other children kept telling her they'd never seen her so happy, but no one could figure out why. They made hundreds of guesses— that she had a secret boyfriend, that Lady Maader was doting on her again, that she had discovered a treasure hoard… Not one theory even touched on the truth— Thalia had been spending every night with Sinbad, letting him chase her demons away.

After those blissful two weeks, though, Thalia began to come down from her high, growing increasingly anxious about their rescue. It had now been three weeks since they had delivered the letter— nearly a month. Thalia had expected a quicker response, and now she was beginning to question everything.

"What if no one comes?" she sobbed into Sinbad's chest one night. "What if I'm sold before help arrives?"

"Someone is definitely coming," he soothed her, stroking her back. "I've told you my friends are reliable, haven't I? They'll pull through. They just need time."

Thalia nodded, sitting up and sniffling. She was still terrified, but this boy had never let her down before. She trusted him. If he said they would be rescued, she believed him.

"Why don't we talk about something that will cheer you up?" he suggested gently. "What's the first thing you want to do once we're free?"

"I… I miss the desserts of my homeland." she confessed. "We have this pastry, layers of phyllo dough and chopped nuts drenched with honey." She gave a small laugh. "I used to sneak into the kitchen and steal some whenever the slaves—" A wave of guilt hit her as she was reminded that the position she so loathed bad been the way of life for so many who had served her.

"We had the same thing in Parthevia," Sinbad told her, reclining on the grass. "I never got to try it. It's pretty expensive and I grew up poor."

"What about you?" she prompted, resting her head down beside him. "What are you going to do?"

"Drink," he told her with a wry grin. "I could really go for some wine."

"Wine? Just straight wine?" She didn't know what the drink tasted like, but it smelled awful. Thalia remembered her mother had wreaked of it. Simay was always stumbling around, carrying bottles, jugs, and glasses of the stuff.

Sinbad chuckled at Thalia's grimace, the warm sound pulling her back from her painful childhood memories.

"You don't like it?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I've never had it," she confessed. No proper Attican would touch uncut wine, and if it tasted anything like it smelled, she was certain she would hate it.

"Thalia!" Sinbad abruptly sat up, sounding personally offended. His over the top reaction sent her her into a fit of giggles. "I'm going to personally ensure we fix that, okay?"

"Good luck," she wished him. He was going to need it. She had no intention to touch the drink that had taken her mother from her.

Their conversation died out, the rustling of trees drifting over them as a freezing wind kicked up. Even under Thalia's cloak, her small body began to shiver. These late night meetings would be impossible during the winter. They were already getting difficult, but she never wanted them to end.

"You know," she confessed, breaking the comfortable silence. "I'm really glad I met you. My entire life, people have told me I'm inferior or incompetent or weak, but you… you told me I was strong. You believed in me." She drew her knees up to her chest. "You make me want to believe in myself."

His hand rested on hers, warm and healing. "I meant every word of it, Thalia. You have potential."

When his warm golden eyes crinkled into a smile, her heart rate spiked, and that fluttering, which was stronger than ever, stirred up once more. She didn't know what this was, but she let herself feel it because she knew she was safe. Sinbad was safe.

"You… are so strange," she told him. He really was like no one she'd ever met.

He let out a quiet laugh. "You're the strange one. I'm actually renown for my charm and natural social grace."

"I'm sure," Thalia tittered sarcastically.

"I'm serious!" Sinbad looked away, a distant expression crossing his face. "I bet I could sweep you off your feet in a heartbeat if I wanted to, but… I don't think that's what either of us needs right now."

Thalia nodded agreeably. "What I really need right now is a friend."

"Then you're in luck," Sinbad told her, holding out a hand to her. "Because I'm one of the best friends you'll ever make. What do you say?"

"B-best friends?!" Thalia stammered, a silly grin spreading across her face. She'd only focused on two words in that sentence. He was moving a bit fast, but… no one had ever offered to be her best friend before. "I want a best friend! Yes!" She'd been too loud, but she didn't care. She shook his hand enthusiastically with both of hers. It was warm and big and sturdy, and she never wanted to let go.

"Alright, then," he whispered. His golden eyes glittered warmly as he placed his free hand on top of hers, lighting her whole body up with joy and comfort. "I'll be your best friend if you promise to smile like that more often. It suits you much better than those fake ones you alway wear."

Both of them froze as the sound of armored footsteps approached.

"The noise came from this way," Kil's voice announced.

Thalia went stiff. Kil had heard them, and now they were going to be thrown in the punishment room and charged with plotting against their master. They would be tortured.

Sinbad shoved her onto her back, mounting her and pressing his forehead against hers. She immediately understood his intentions. If they were caught talking, they could be accused of conspiring. If they were caught in a lovers' embrace, however, the penalty would probably be less severe. They might even be let off with a whipping since they hadn't crossed any lines.

She positioned his hand on her waist before digging her own fingers into his solid back. Her breathing was hard, but he stroked her chin with a calming thumb as if to tell her that it was okay; they were in this together. Thalia gave a slight nod to let him know she understood, and, as the trample of several pairs of feet drew nearer, she closed her eyes and awaited her fate. It was all she could do.

"I knew I heard something," Kil's voice muttered as the footsteps paused. "Take these two into custody!"

Thalia dared to open her eyes as two armed adults pried Sinbad off her. She fought and clung to his clothing, begging them not to take him away. He was her safety. She couldn't make it through this without him.

Once he had been apprehended, Thalia stared in horror from her place on the ground. He had the audacity to smile at her as though he believed everything would be alright. He was clearly lying. That wasn't his place. _She_ was the liar, but, right now, even she couldn't bear to lie. Not to him.

She wouldn't have been able to fight one of these over-muscled brutes, but two stepped forward to hoist her off the ground anyway. She hung limply, submission overcoming her body. Fighting was pointless when she was so weak. That was something learned that when Brutus had manhandled her during her kidnapping, and, over the years, the lesson had been reinforced countless times. Now, even if she had wanted to struggle, she couldn't. Her body wouldn't obey.

The guards dragged the pair to the shipment receiving areas and tossed them in two seperate cages. The enclosures were cramped even for Thalia. She could only imagine how Sinbad felt, contorted to fit in such a tiny space. She didn't dare look, though. She kept her eyes fixed on Kil, who was standing with her hands clasped behind her back, glowering at each of them with contempt.

"Lady Maader will decide what to do with you in the morning," the girl announced. With no further words, she pivoted and left, followed by all but one of the guards.

The remaining guard kept watch over them the whole night. Thalia knew better than to try to speak, and apparently so did Sinbad. She quietly watched him through her bars, refusing to make eye contact every time he tried to smile at her. Even though they had spared themselves outright torture, she knew he would be punished, possibly more severely than she. He must have known that too, but he still put on this act for her. She didn't know if he was being stupid or kind.

The next morning, Lady Maader strolled in the room, rage bleeding through her fake smile. She let Sinbad out first and tenderly placed her hands on his shoulders, like a mother might do to a wayward son. Thalia grimaced internally, disgusted by the display. That loathsome woman was trying to win him back. Little did she know, she couldn't. Thalia had already saved him.

"My dear Sinbad," Lady Maader cooed, "you're a growing boy. I understand you have urges. That's normal, but think about it: how can you remain my child if you engage in adult activities?" She turned to the guard, still smiling venomously. "Take him to the punishment chamber. We will discuss his discipline there." His whole body stiffened at the words "punishment chamber."

Lady Maader followed Sinbad and the guard out of the room, and Thalia stared after them silently, unable to help her savior this time. After a while, as the guilt died down, she began to realize that the wretched woman hadn't even acknowledged her. Could it be their master didn't hold Thalia responsible for what happened at all? As worried as she was for Sinbad, she didn't want to be punished either. Some of rigidity left her body as she selfishly celebrated her own narrow escape. Maybe she would be released soon without incident.

Maybe not.


	10. Becoming the Gorgon

Okay, guys. Huge content warning for this chapter: rape. I just wanted to give you a heads up.

* * *

 **Becoming the Gorgon**

* * *

Thalia was stuck in that cage for two days, during which time she received two bathroom breaks a day and no one was allowed to visit her. She watched Finn, Shamhat, and Dinarzade each fail to talk their way past the on-duty guard. Masrur stopped by and gave her a small nod after intimidating the guard into submission, and she felt his silent encouragement. She'd always assumed he tolerated her presence because he didn't care enough about her to tell her to go away, but now she realized he might genuinely appreciate her company.

On the third day, Kil came to release Thalia from her cage.

"You wreak," the girl complained, waving her hand in front of her nose. "Get out and take a bath. Lady Maader wants to see you when you're finished."

Thalia crawled out of her enclosure, struggling to straighten her stiff legs. The fact that Lady Maader had requested to see her after all this time raised her hairs on end. She remembered what had happened to Fatima, how he had angered their master and had his body sold as a result, but stopped herself. She refused to allow her thoughts to go in that direction. The witch only cared about one thing— profits. In that regard, being caught with Sinbad wasn't as bad as freeing dozens of slaves. She hadn't done anything that would damage her own value, either. The monstrous woman probably wanted to personally issue a whipping because she would get some kind of sick joy out of making Thalia suffer. That was all.

The bathtub was large and warm, and Thalia was surprised to have it all to herself. Most children weren't allowed to use this bath— it was Lady Maader's personal one. This special treatment was strange, but it was nothing Thalia couldn't explain away. She told herself the woman wanted to soften her skin before the whipping so that the lashes dug in deeper. The rich soaps she had been provided with had to serve that purpose too. She didn't allow her imagination to get carried away. None of this was definite evidence that she would end up like Fatima.

After the bath, Thalia was still brushing her damp hair when Kil came for her, carrying a folded swath of sickeningly pink fabric. Sneering, she tossed the bundle in Thalia's lap.

"Put this on."

Thalia lifted the garment up by its shoulders, appalled at its plunging neckline. She turned her attention to Kil, staring at her incredulously. Thalia refused to acknowledge her growing suspicions about the significance of this dress, swallowing the bile rising in her stomach.

 _It doesn't mean anything. None of this means anything. That witch is just messing with my head._

Thalia knew she wasn't.

"I'm not walking around like that."

"You will. You don't have a choice."

Thalia glanced at the fabric one final time, lowering it back into her lap. "If I refuse?"

"I'll have guards come in here and dress you," Kil snapped.

Thalia stared blankly at the wall in front of her. Perhaps some small part of her had believed if she hadn't put on the dress, she would have been tortured instead. She wasn't sure that was any better, but at least the damage wasn't permanent. Wounds would heal. What was about to be done to her couldn't be undone.

"What are you waiting for?" Kil crossed her arms in front of her chest expectantly.

Thalia had failed over and over and over in her life. She had failed her people, and she had failed herself. Her only success in sixteen years was bringing Sinbad over to her side. Even that much had been asking too much. This result was inevitable, because no matter how much hope Sinbad had given her, Thalia had known deep down that her existence was never meant to be a happy one. Every small joy she claimed for herself was eventually ripped from her. She had fought for nothing.

If Thalia had learned one thing in her years as a slave, it was that when she couldn't fight, it was better to submit. She hadn't lost everything yet. She would still come out of this alive, and that was her goal— not to thrive, but to survive.

She donned the low-cut negligee, which offered no protection from the air's chill, leaving her trembling pathetically before a girl nearly a head shorter than her.

"Let's go." Kil marched purposefully ahead as Thalia followed, shivering with her arms wrapped protectively across her chest. The children she passed were too young to understand what was happening, and they ran up to her, praising her outfit and telling her she looked like a princess.

She had never felt less like one.

They eventually arrived at the west wing, the part of the building with bedrooms for especially important visitors, and more recently…

This was where Fatima had been raped. Thalia fought back a sob.

Pausing outside an open door, Kil motioned for Thalia to step in the room. She obeyed, hanging her head low. If she offended Lady Maader any further, it might not just be Thalia's body that the woman sold.

"Echo, I have good news for you," Lady Maader purred, pulling Thalia against her warm chest. "You're going to serve a patron personally today."

Thalia's body remembered this touch. It had been comforting, motherly. Even now, her limbs grew weak, and she wanted to sob in this woman's arms, opening up about her despair. Perhaps Thalia had been wrong. Perhaps there was enough love in this woman's heart to spare a useless princess from a dreaded fate.

"Please don't do this," Thalia whimpered, burying her face in the woman's bosom. "I was wrong. I know I was."

"Oh, my dear Echo…" Lady Maader stroked Thalia's hair tenderly, easing the girl's trembling. "I thought this whole time you were lost beyond reach, but you are still my child, aren't you?" The woman hugged Thalia against her firmly for a minute before speaking again, this time her voice devoid of its seductive affection. "Serve this man well and make money for your mother. This is your atonement. I'll forgive you if he reports you were satisfactory."

"No." Thalia backed away from Lady Maader, shaking her head. The woman had managed to fool her again. Thalia had known this witch was a monster all these years, and she'd still given in during a moment of weakness. She set her jaw. "I won't. I'd rather die."

"Echo," Lady Maader's eyes gleamed dangerously in the dim lamplight. "You seemed to be quite eager to pursue these kinds of activities the other night. This is simply insurance that I'll get my money's worth out of you before you do something destructive."

Lady Maader left the room and ushered someone in: Marcus. Thalia's heart leapt with joy. Marcus had promised he wouldn't buy her without her permission. Lady Maader must have lied to him and told him Thalia had approached her about a sale. If she just explained the situation he would understand.

"Marcus," she cried, running up to him and clutching at his shirt. "I'm so glad it's you!"

His hands slid up her back, gliding over the satin fabric of her dress before tugging her closer. He smelled musky and woody, the complex scent of expensive perfumes hitting her nose. Thalia stiffened in his arms as he began to silently undo the button holding her dress closed in the back.

"You have no idea how long I've waited for this," he whispered in her ear, sliding one shoulder of her dress down her arm.

Thalia panicked. She had to stop him. He was misunderstanding.

"Marcus, someone lied to you. I haven't agreed to this." She pushed at his chest, forcing him to give her space. "Go back and tell Lady Maader to give you a refund."

"Echo…" He stared down at her, his sea-blue eyes cold and unfamiliar. "You really think you still have a choice?"

Of course she had a choice. It was her body. He had promised—

"I told you didn't I? If I see someone else threatening my property, I won't hesitate to claim what's mine." His sweaty thumb stroked her bare shoulder with a tenderness that contrasted unsettlingly with his words.

"No one is threatening your property," she assured him, pushing firmly on his chest. "I don't even belong to you. Lady Maader is my master."

"Not anymore," He gave a sickening smile, uncovering her other shoulder. "She clearly can't handle so many slaves. I've decided to take you off her hands."

Thalia had to stop shoving him in order to hold the front of her dress up, crossing her arms protectively over her chest.

"She's handling me fine," Thalia lied. She was reluctant to defend the woman, but she was also terrified of being sold. Terror won out over reluctance.

"Clearly not." Marcus firmly grasped her arms, prying them away from her chest and down to her sides. "She's let a wolf among her flock, and he's gone after the most vulnerable sheep."

"Wolf?" She shoved him again as he began to tear at her dress. "You're the one acting like a predator. I told you to stop."

"I told you to stay away from that guy," Marcus growled.

Suddenly, Thalia understood. He'd found out about her and Sinbad being caught together in the middle of the night. He was jealous. If that was the case, she just needed to set his mind at ease. It didn't matter that he had no right to treat her like this. All that mattered was convincing him to stop.

"Nothing happened, Marcus. We were just talking when we heard someone coming and panicked."

"I believe you," he whispered, dragging her back into an embrace. "My sweet, obedient Echo wouldn't let another man touch her."

"Let's stop this then," she pleaded, resisting the urge to squirm away from him. "Let's just sit on the bed and talk like—"

"I'm sick of talking." He grabbed her chin and roughly brought his lips to hers, sending her into a state of shock. Her entire body locked up. This wasn't right. Marcus protected her from the men that would do something like this. He wasn't one of them. For two years, he had been her friend. For two years, he had let her cry on his shoulder. She had been alone with him countless times. He'd given her flowers. He wasn't a monster. She knew he wasn't.

She tried to speak, but his mouth was still smashed angrily against hers. His hands tore at her dress, successfully fending off her feeble attempts to fight him. Soon, she was naked and vulnerable, her limbs refusing to cooperate. Finally, he shoved her on the bed, his hands hot and moist.

"This isn't you," she pleaded. "You don't have to do this."

He was acting like a monster, but there was a genuinely good guy in there. Where had he gone?

He pushed back his hair, letting out a low breath. "You're right. It's not me. It's you. You did this to yourself."

He began to take off his own clothing. If Thalia had a chance to escape, this would have been it, but she wasn't thinking straight. It didn't even occur to her to run. She'd already been overpowered by him, and she'd done the only thing her body knew to do when faced with a larger adversary— she had submitted.

First he removed his shirt, revealing a bare chest with a sickly sheen. She usually thought of his skin as being golden, but right now it was sallow. As he began to take off his pants, she looked away, not wanting to see what was underneath. Its presence was still inescapable. It emitted a stench that exploded into the air— more pungent and more nauseating than mere sweat. The smell invaded her nostrils, making her stomach churn, and Thalia prayed she would puke. Maybe he would be too disgusted to continue if she did.

She felt the bed shift underneath her as he climbed next to her, grabbing her legs roughly and shifting them onto the mattress.

"Echo…" Marcus murmured, propping himself up next to her. Thalia's body was frozen, and she could only move her eyes enough to look at his face. He smiled down at her condescendingly. "Do you know why I like you?"

Thalia swallowed, her tongue getting caught in her throat. She couldn't answer him. She couldn't even shake her head. Nothing would move.

"You're so easy to manipulate," he confided in her. "I give millions to charity each year, but all of that is for appearances. What I really like is control, and you are the perfect victim. No one loves you. No one wants you. You're all alone, and you'll put up with anything for a little kindness."

Thalia trembled in fear as he stroked her cheek. What had appeared as affection before now seemed more like contempt. He was just like Lady Maader, only instead of torture, he used insults. He built her up just to tear her back down, leaving her too off-balance to stand up to him. He really was a monster.

"I know you'll be angry at me for this, but you're going to forgive me. All I need to do is dangle our friendship in front of you, and you're come crawling back like you always do. I _love_ that about you, Echo."

He was wrong. She would never forgive him. If she had to spend the rest of her life alone, she would never so much as look in his direction again.

As he climbed on top of her, she found the strength to make one last attempt to stop him.

"Get off me," she demanded, shoving against his chest with all her might. He was too heavy. It was useless. "I said get off!"

Ignoring her, he forced himself between her legs, a strange grimace crossing his face as he entered. Thalia's limbs became too heavy to move again, and she could do nothing but stare into the flame of the lamp on the bedside table.

Her thoughts took her back to Attica, where if news of this got out, she would be scorned. She would have to find a way to suppress news of what had happened in this room. No one could know. Her prospects couldn't be ruined if no one ever found out she wasn't a virgin. Maybe she could even come up with a way to fake her virginity on her wedding night. The country needed stability, and a ruined princess was anything but stable. This would not be the end of her. This would not be the end of her country.

When it was over, Marcus sat on the edge of the bed, pensive. Thalia sat up, crossing her arms over her chest as his semen seeped out of her a little at a time. It dawned that she might get pregnant from this encounter, and she stifled a sob. She didn't want to carry this monster's child. She didn't even want to look at him, but she did. She looked into his eyes, blue like the seas, and saw no regret in them.

"I had to do this, otherwise, you would never understand your place," he whispered. "I'm going to buy you. I'll treat you like a queen, and as long as you stay my sweet, obedient Echo, I'll never have to do this to you again."

Thalia wanted nothing more than for this man to leave. He was a stranger to her now.

"Just go."

Marcus stood up and put his clothes back on. Once he left the room, Thalia began detachedly inspecting her body for marks. Fatima had been covered with bruises. The world could see that he'd been abused after what happened to him, but Marcus hadn't left a single mark. Looking at her, who would be able to tell how he'd damaged her?

Next, she checked the sheets for the red spot that she'd always been told accompanied the loss of virginity. The sheets were pure white, like untouched snow. There was no evidence at all of the crime that had just occurred, and somehow, that stung more than anything else. Would anyone believe her if she told them that Marcus Alexius, Reim's beloved philanthropist, had done this to her? Of course not.

On the bright side, the lack of proof would make covering up what had happened on this day simple. The world would look at her and never see the difference…

… but she was irrevocably changed.

She'd known this moment would come. She'd been desperately trying to avoid it for years. Now, here she was, on the other side. What had all that fighting been for? What had she been dreading? The world hadn't ended. She wasn't broken. All she felt was numb.

Thalia put on that disgusting dress and shuffled out of the dreadful room in the direction of her dormitory, ignoring the pleas of the smaller children wanting her to play with them. She couldn't. She just needed to lie down for a while. Then she would feel whole again. Then she would feel normal.

Once back in her room, she shed the sickly pink dress and put on something familiar, crawling into bed and burying herself under the safety of her sheets. She lay down for maybe an hour before two of her roommates poked their heads in.

"Echo…" Shamhat's voice was heartbroken, but her pity just made Thalia angry. Thalia had been the one victimized, not her. She had no right to be sad on Thalia's behalf. "We heard what happened."

"Who did it?" Finn demanded. "I'll fucking chop his—"

Thalia forced herself to sit up and faked a smile. "I think you're confused. Nothing happened. I explained that I didn't want to do anything, and he and I just talked for a while. That's all."

"So no one touched you?" Shamhat asked.

"No one… touched me." Thalia's voice wavered as she spoke. She was still shaken, ready to burst into tears at any moment.

"You're lying in bed for fun?" Finn frowned, picking up the ripped garment Thalia had left on the floor. "This dress tore itself?"

Thalia could have explained away why she was lying in bed, but the matter of the dress was more complicated, and she wasn't in the state to try to sweep it under the rug.

The color drained from Shamhat's face as stared at the tattered gown. "Oh my god…"

Finn sat on the end of Thalia's bed, her jaw set. "I'm gonna fucking say it. That woman is a monster."

"Who?" Shamhat settled down next to her.

"You know fucking who. Maader Umm Mariadel. I-" Finn faltered, her voice cracking. "I've defended her for so long, but I can't anymore. Echo didn't deserve this. Not even Fatima did."

Thalia should have been happy. Finn was finally acknowledging what a terrible woman Lady Maader was. Thalia had gained an ally. This was a victory.

Her heart continued to buzz with static numbness.

Shamhat stared at her hands in her lap. "I've been thinking the same thing, but I didn't want to say anything because I was scared…"

"Echo!" Dinarzade stumbled against the doorway, flushed and dripping with sweat. Panting, she held up a small jug.

"I just… got back from… the herbalist." She stumbled toward Thalia, prying the lid off. "Drink this… it's a contraceptive…"

Thalia accepted the bottle, carefully avoiding brushing hands with Dinarzade. She stared at it for a moment. Medicine was expensive. Dinarzade shouldn't have been able to afford this. She was a slave. She didn't have any income.

"Where did you get the money for this?"

"Don't worry about it. Just drink it."

Thalia nodded and brought the liquid to her lips, relief flooding her. She wasn't going to have to raise Marcus's child.

The first time she walked into the cafeteria, she could feel the eyes of the older children on her. They all knew her body had been sold. Some praised her for serving Lady Maader so faithfully. Thalia lied and explained to each of them that all that had happened in the room was talking. Others avoided making eye contact. She represented the looming reality that they could be the next victims of their master's greed.

When she sat down at the table with Sinbad, she was relieved to see he appeared relatively unharmed. She could tell by the way he winced when he moved that they had done something to him, but she didn't dare ask about it in front of his roommates. Their conversations that night died quickly. Thalia's mind was too far off to give more than one word responses to anything he said.

On her way back to her dorm, he called after her.

"Thalia!"

She paused, slowly turning around to face him. He stared her her, his shoulders slumped and guilt written over his face.

"I'm sorry… I couldn't protect you."

Thalia forced a smile. Finn, Shamhat and Dinarzade had figured out what had happened on their own, but the fewer people who knew the truth, the easier it would be to cover this up. "Nothing happened in that room. I'm fine."

He let out a relieved sigh and pulled her into his friendly, familiar embrace.

Thalia knew Sinbad would never, ever do anything like that to her. He'd more than proven himself trustworthy. So why was it that this time, when his arms wrapped around her, instead of feeling safe, she felt like she was underneath that horrid man once again?

Details Thalia hadn't even realized she'd noticed began to flood her senses— the sensation of Marcus's skin sticking to hers, the nauseating feeling of his weight pressing down on her… all those memories tumbled around in her mind, flooding her with rage, terror, helplessness, and shame.

"Don't _touch_ me!" she cried, violently shoving Sinbad away and curling into a ball. She was fully aware she had just given the truth away. She was also fully aware that she'd just made him feel like a monster. She couldn't do anything about either of those things. She was too busy struggling to breathe, to control the angry sobs that forced their way out of her throat.

That was the first time what had happened actually hit her.

* * *

A/N: Okay, so... I didn't _want_ to give Marcus a villain speech or anything (I mean, who tells their victim they're manipulating them?), but I was afraid if I didn't spell out that he had been deliberately and consciously manipulating Thalia, he would come off as being just being crazy or obsessed. My writing skills are not quite up to par to give his character the complexity I wanted to convey.

Also, currently Shamhat and Finn fall off the face of the earth. They did not stay when they got their freedom. They go their separate ways and I'll address that when I get a chance to edit the next chapter. Thanks if you went back and read this, and if this is your first time reading my fic, hello! It's nice to meet you! Be glad you didn't have to suffer through what was originally 6 chapters worth of events packed into 1!


	11. Reunions

**Reunions**

* * *

The wails of hundreds of children rose like a symphony of misery all around Thalia. Their mistress was gone. She had vanished in the night, along with Kil and one or two other children, leaving the rest of her property behind. She must have received information from an informant on what was about to happen. It was too much of a coincidence that she left without a word the night before the military arrived.

Thalia collapsed into a chair as soldiers stormed into the dining hall, gathering the children and searching for a lost princess. She wished they'd come even just two days sooner. Then Marcus wouldn't have had the chance to defile her. Then this victory wouldn't feel so hollow.

"Thalia Alexandris! Which of you is Thalia?" Nerva Julius Calaudes's grating voice called out for her. Thalia knew she should respond. She should face him, thank him even. Instead, she stared at the sea of children surrounding her. Ever since _that_ had happened, the slightest of touches brought her back to that bedroom, leaving her in hysterics. She couldn't navigate this crowd. It would be impossible.

"Who is he looking for?" Finn shouted over the screaming. "There's no Thalia here!"

"Someone said that's the crown prince!" Shamhat reappeared by Thalia's side after performing her reconnaissance. "They're looking for his fiancee. Apparently she's been living as one of us for years. She's a _princess._ "

"No way," Finn gasped. "Who—?"

"Thalia!" Sinbad plowed his way through a group of kids, looking straight at the girl everyone had called Echo for years. "He's looking for you."

Finn and Shamhat's conversation skidded to a halt. Neither of them would have expected the humble Echo they'd eaten, slept, and trained with for four years would turn out to be a princess, much less the crown prince's fiancee.

Thalia again turned her gaze to the swarm of children around her, her body beginning to tremble. They were packed together too closely. She would have to shove them out of the way. She _couldn't_ go to Nerva. She was terrified.

"I'll have him come here," Dinarzade volunteered. "You stay." Without another word, the blonde left, weaving her way through the crowd of wailing children.

"Y- your name is Echo though…" Finn appeared to be having trouble processing the information she'd just received. "Why would Dinarzade go get the prince… he's looking for a princess… You're just Echo."

Thalia shifted uncomfortably in her chair to face her confused companion. "Please refer to me as Thalia from now on. Echo is the name our master gave me to conceal my identity."

"Y- y- you…"

"Princess?!" Shamhat's eyes glittered. "Should we bow? We should bow. Finn, bow!" The raven haired romantic lowered herself into a curtsy as Finn continued to stammer.

"Please." Thalia squirmed in embarrassment. "No one has bowed to me in years. Stop. It's weird."

"PRINCESS THALIA!" A voice like the cry of a strangled crow called for Thalia's attention, and she turned to find Nerva Julius Calaudes shoving aside children to approach her, Dinarzade following meekly behind him. "You're safe! Oh, you poor, tragic creature!"

 _Creature...?_

Nerva twisted around to shout at a guard to quiet the children, which the guard then did with a bellowing command.

The din now at a more tolerable level, Thalia stood up and curtsied politely to her soon-to-be ex-fiance. She'd known since the fall of Attica the engagement would be cancelled when she was found. When Reim's royal family had agreed to the engagement, they had signed up for the easy acquisition of a country, not an extension of their war with Parthevia. The only thing Thalia had to offer had been taken from her. In essence, she was damaged goods in yet another sense.

"Do not worry, sweet princess. I, the great Nerva Julius Calaudes have come to free you from that vile woman's clutches!"

 _He calls himself "the great"?_

Thalia put on a demure smile. If he wanted her to play the role of "sweet princess," she would give him what he wanted. Despite the inevitability of their cancelled marriage, she needed to ingratiate herself to him. They would be the rulers of two neighboring countries one day, and if she insulted him now, the relationship between Attica and Reim might suffer for it later.

"Oh my… Nerva, is that you? It's been so long. You've grown so tall!"

"And you've grown so beautiful," he lamented. "It's unfortunate we'll have to cancel our engagement. With my rugged good looks and your refined beauty, our children would have been the most attractive princes and princesses Reim had ever seen."

 _Rugged… good… looks…_

Thalia stared at the prince dully. Perhaps if she found his personality attractive, his narrow, beady eyes and enormous nose might have seemed more endearing than repulsive. Unfortunately, he was as pompous as she remembered. He may have actually gotten worse.

When the initial shock of the degree of his vanity passed, Thalia gave him an understanding smile. Relief flooded her now that she officially didn't have to marry this man.

"I agree. With the change in circumstances surrounding my situation, it would seem cancelling the engagement is for the best."

"My father and I wish to convey our condolences for everything that's happened Please…" Please? Thalia was surprised that word was in his vocabulary. He pulled out a large, jingling sack and held it out. "Accept this gift of consolation."

Thalia took the coin purse from him, careful not to let their fingers touch, and held it in front of her stomach. "Your generosity will not be forgotten."

In reality, no amount of money could bring her parents and her sister back from the dead. Even so, waging war to take back her country would be expensive. This wouldn't be a drop in the sea of what she needed to raise to fund an army, but every bit would count. However much this gift of consolation failed in its purpose, it would bring her one step closer to her goal.

She exchanged a few more pleasantries with Nerva before he abruptly excused himself, claiming to have "important, official business" to take care of. That was it. She wouldn't have to deal with him again until they met in a political capacity, which could be years away.

She sighed. What a relief.

"Strange guy," Sinbad muttered, resting a hand on the back of her chair as she sat back down. "You deserve better anyways. Someone better looking, less stuck up— someone who appreciates you."

Thalia smiled down in her lap, warmed by Sinbad's kind words and the friendly wink that had accompanied them. They were a small comfort during this time of uncertainty. Her attempt at securing her own future had fallen through. She'd planned on marrying Marcus— god, had that been stupid— but now she had no one. No prospects.

Though, in her current state, she preferred it that way. Maybe she would put off thoughts of looking for a suitor for a while and focus on acclimating to life as a free woman. It had been so long since she'd known what that felt like. Even in the palace, her life had been restrictive, but now…

She looked up at the boy who had helped her obtain freedom. She would be in his employ indefinitely. When she was ready, she would make preparations for war— hunt down allies, procure an army… but not yet. First, she needed to piece herself back together.

"Sin!" Upon hearing her friend's name, Thalia followed the voice to find a familiar sandy-haired boy making his way through the crowd. In his hand, he clutched an important-looking piece of paper. He beamed as soon as he locked eyes with Sinbad. "It worked. Sindria Trading Company has absorbed all of Mariadel Company's assets."

Dinarzade squealed. "Does that mean…?"

Sinbad flashed each of the girls surrounding him a dazzling smile. "Congratulations, ladies. You're free."

* * *

Thalia boarded her the ship to her new life on the mainland in a haze. As soon as Sinbad had said the word "free" her tether to the outside world had snapped. She had a general idea of what was going on around her; she'd managed to focus enough to help Sinbad sort the children with families from the ones with no one to care for them.

She was also aware Finn and Shamhat had declined to join the company. Apparently, Shamhat had been keeping a boyfriend in secret for months. Rather than leave him, she'd decided to stay and build a new life together. Finn, on the other hand, had decided to join a convent. She'd said she wanted to _really_ help orphans, not exploit them the way Lady Maader had. She'd claimed it was her penance for being complacent for so long.

Thalia was also aware the two girls, the ones she'd spent so long refusing to call her friends, had already left. She remembered they'd said goodbye, but she couldn't remember what she'd told them in return. She couldn't remember if she'd told them how she really felt— that she'd appreciated their support, that they had always been good to her. She couldn't remember if she'd said anything at all.

As if she hadn't been lost enough, her guiding light, her beacon in the fog, had slowly started to disappear. Sinbad had become absorbed coordinating the transportation of the children, ensuring their safety and the well-being of their families. He'd stopped showing up to their secret spot in the middle of the night. Sitting there, shivering alone in the cold, Thalia had realized that whatever they'd had on Ria Venus Island, it wasn't going to survive the transition to freedom.

Before Ria Venus Island, he'd had an entire life full of friends, and there had never been room for someone like her in it. Sooner or later, he was bound to forget about her.

"Thalia."

She snapped out of her brooding, tugged back by Sinbad's voice. He hadn't disappeared completely yet. Occasionally, he still noticed her.

"I'd like to introduce you two formally." He gestured to the sandy haired boy at his side. "This is Ja'far. Ja'far, this is Thalia, one of our new employees."

Wearing a charming smile, the young boy stretched out his palm in greeting. "It's nice to meet you, Thalia. I look forward to working with you."

Thalia stared at his hand blankly for a moment before she understood she was meant to shake it. As a slave, such greetings were not bestowed upon her. Handshakes were reserved for equals. Despite her overwhelming gratitude for being treated so respectfully, Thalia curtsied politely in response.

"It's nice to meet you as well, Ja'far."

His smile faltered as his hand remained empty.

Sinbad came to Thalia's rescue, as always, sparing the boy's feelings. "Don't worry about it, Ja'far. She's a little finicky about touch."

The boy glanced at her and then Sinbad. "Did something happen? A few weeks ago, she and Drakon—"

Out of the corner of her eye, Thalia caught Sinbad giving the child a swift warning glare.

"Right." Ja'far returned his hand to his side. "Don't ask. Got it." He returned his friendly smile to Thalia. "I won't be the one training you, but if you have any questions, feel free to stop by my office. I'm much more reliable than the boss here."

"Ja'far!" Suddenly, Sinbad had the child in a playful headlock.

Thalia stumbled backward, a surprised giggle escaping her lips. The roughhousing between the two boys reminded her of how Drakon and Serendine sometimes used to—

Suddenly, her moment of levity was gone. The Serendine she had known was dead, replaced by a monster who'd killed her parents. If she never saw Serendine again, Thalia would be happy. She didn't want revenge. She wanted to forget that the pink haired princess ever existed. That was all Thalia asked for, peace from the memories of that girl.

* * *

The Sindria company employees threw a feast to celebrate the return of their leader. After eating his fill, Sinbad brought his most trusted companions to Thalia and Masrur one by one, telling the two newcomers each of his friends' names. The introductions were similar in format to Ja'far's, awkward avoidance of handshakes and all.

Sinbad introduced Hinahoho, Rurumu, and their children all together. Next was Pipirika followed by Mystras of Sasan, Parsine of Artemyra, and Mahad and Vittel. So many new names and faces blurred together in her head that she wondered if she would ever remember them all.

The next person she would have no trouble remembering, though. Sinbad brought over Junior— they called him Drakon, now, she reminded herself— and introduced him mostly for Masrur's sake. Drakon greeted her once again in a manner befitting a princess, kneeling respectfully. He'd become so docile compared to the prideful and rambunctious child she'd known.

"My, you really have grown since the days you insisted I was too ugly to be a princess," she teased.

A hint of red shone through Drakon's bright green complexion. "Princess, please forgive my rudeness when we were younger. I was much too brash and careless with my words."

Princess. He kept calling her that. She'd thought they had moved past formal titles _years_ ago, but maybe he was doing this on purpose. After all, it had been four years since they'd last spoken. Maybe it was naive of her to believe they could pick up their friendship where they'd left off. Even so, she would cling to him. She would stubbornly pursue him until he agreed to be her friend again, much like she had when they'd first met.

Thalia leaned forward, keeping her hands clasped safely behind her back. "There's nothing to forgive. Now stand up."

"It's so nice to watch the two of you get along," Sinbad sighed as Drakon rose from his bow. "If only you were this obedient with me, eh Drakon?"

"I still haven't forgiven you for causing so much trouble." Drakon scowled.

Thalia smiled. There was the Junior she remembered. He'd always masked his affection behind harsh words. In this same manner, he'd made her cry dozens of times in their youth. He'd never known how to handle her tears and subsequently floundered to cheer her up. Eventually, he'd realized his prideful attempts at "apologies" only further insulted her, and he'd taken to giving her gifts— seashells, flowers, rocks, whatever he could find lying around.

Sinbad didn't cry, though. He wasn't nearly as sensitive as young Thalia. Instead, he bent down and wrapped an arm around Masrur as though confiding a secret. "See what I put up with?"

"Mm." The young Fanalis nodded.

"Allow me to translate for Junior," Thalia interjected. "What he was _really_ saying is that he's been worried sick about you, Sinbad."

"Thalia!" The red underneath Drakon's scales was more visible now. Thalia winked at her old friend. Finally, he'd referred to her by name.

"Speaking of childhood friends…" Sinbad brought a thoughtful finger to his chin. "Drakon, didn't you and Serendine grow up together as well? Thalia, do you know her—"

"Sinbad." Drakon's stern tone brought Thalia's well meaning new boss to a halt, but it was too late. She had heard the name of the girl who'd murdered her parents fall from his lips as though…

"You know her?" Thalia's stomach began to churn violently, and she thought she might vomit on his precious marble floor the same way she had the night she'd found out about the fate of her family.

"Yeah," Sinbad said it nonchalantly, as though it were no big deal. "She works here too."

Drakon's eyes were fixed on Thalia, studying her as though he was trying to gauge how much she already knew. Thalia stumbled slightly, nearly losing her balance, but otherwise maintained a placid expression.

No matter how close they'd gotten on Ria Venus Island, she had no idea what Sinbad was like off it. She'd just gotten here, but who knew how long a history he had with Serendine? If she started making accusations against Sinbad's friends, he could easily kick her out. Then she would be forced to work in a brothel, and…

Memories of what had happened in that bedroom began to drag her away from the present, the sensation of clammy hands groping her skin sending shivers up her spine. In a brothel, it would be that same thing over and over again night after night, a parade of Marcuses.

Lurking the halls of this building was the monster that had killed her parents, but outside these walls were even more monsters, ones that would destroy whatever was left of her.

"Are you okay?" Sinbad furrowed his eyebrows, reaching out to her before stopping himself. "You look pale."

Thalia mustered all her strength and steeled herself for her performance. She wouldn't break down. Not here. Not now. She could break down all she wanted later, but in this moment her survival depended on keeping herself together.

Faking a brilliant smile, she lied. "I'm fine, just a bit surprised that I would find myself working at the same company as my two dearest childhood friends." She turned her attention to Drakon. "I can't tell you how happy I am to be reunited with the two of you."

Drakon seemed to let out a tense breath. She had convinced him she didn't know. So long as she was at the mercy of other people's kindness, she would never be able to tell the truth about Serendine.

* * *

The first time the two princesses encountered one another, Sinbad had been giving Thalia a tour of the Sindria Trading Company building. He had just finished and Thalia was about to leave when Serendine appeared before them. Thalia almost hadn't recognized her with her hair cut so short. The former princess of Parthevia was holding a bundle of clothing and seemed to be looking for Sinbad. Thalia had to acknowledge the girl. Everyone had to believe she held no hard feelings for her fellow princess.

"Serendine." She mustered her most serene smile. "It's been so long since we last ran into each other like this."

Serendine appeared as though she'd seen a ghost. "Thalia?"

"So much has happened since we last played together as little girls. We must catch up sometime soon." In truth, Thalia wanted to avoid seeing this person as much as possible.

Serendine schooled her face into a calm and polite expression. "How lucky we are to run into each other again after all these years. I'm afraid my job keeps me very busy, but if we ever find some time, let's do catch up."

"That sounds lovely." Thalia had no intentions of accepting her invitation, and likely the other princess preferred it that way as well.

Both girls demurely passed each other. To Thalia, the hall suddenly seemed impossibly long. She felt her carefully sculpted mask begin to crack. She couldn't break down. Not in front of her enemy. She quickened her pace and, rounding the corner, allowed herself to crumple to the floor.


	12. Aftermath

**Aftermath**

* * *

"So that's the layout of the building…" Sinbad trailed off, a smile crossing his face as he watched the younger children, including Masrur, play under the supervision of Hinahoho and Rurumu. Thalia smiled too. Masrur had struggled to adjust, and her attempts to reach him had been fruitless. It seemed what he'd needed was to meet someone who was his match in physical strength, and the kind, fatherly Hinahoho fit the bill. Sinbad's friends were turning out to be every bit as amazing as he was.

"Princess." Sinbad turned back toward her, looking as though he wanted to say something.

What was it with the people who were supposed to be her friends calling her that? Hadn't he promised on the island that he would be her best friend? What, now that he had other people he could talk to, all of that meant nothing? Was that promise just empty words? On Ria Venus Island they had spent hours together every single night. Now, she was lucky to see him for more than a few minutes at a time. Why was he pulling away?

"There's no need to be formal," she reminded him, attempting to hide the strain in her voice. "Just Thalia is fine."

"Thalia, then." He shoved his hands in his pockets. "These kids all got caught up in my fate, but I'm willing to take responsibility. I've already offered them a place as citizens in my country."

"Oh."

Thalia turned back to the children, willing away the bubble of envy rising in her chest. She had a country to go back to, and Sinbad knew that, but it still would have been nice if—

"I've looked into the situation surrounding your home country."

"I see."

So now he knew. She wondered how much he had uncovered, if he had learned that it was her fault. Or maybe she just looked like a pathetic victim with no identity outside her tragic backstory. Would he still call her strong now that he'd discovered the truth?

Studying his face, she searched for signs of pity or revulsion. She found neither.

"Do you really plan on going back?" He furrowed his eyebrows. "Parthevia's government doesn't treat its own citizens well. I can only imagine what it's like for conquered territories. Not to mention, given your identity…"

"That's why I have to go back. I have a responsibility to protect my people."

The silence that followed wasn't the comfortable kind they had shared in their secret corner. This one was awkward, the air saturated with things left unsaid. Thalia shifted her weight from foot to foot, wondering if it would be out of line to tell him she missed his companionship.

At night, when her roommates had gone to sleep and she had nothing but her thoughts to keep her company, she would wander the grounds looking for him. She never found him. Perhaps he hadn't had trouble sleeping lately. Perhaps he'd already recovered and left her behind. Perhaps all she was to him was a ghost, a reminder of a past he was trying to forget. He probably only offered to "take responsibility" because it was the nice thing to do.

The longer he held her gaze, the more she began to suspect that wasn't the case. His mouth pulled into a grim line, the kind her sister used to wear whenever she caught Thalia getting into particularly unsafe mischief.

When Sinbad finally spoke, his voice was low.

"Going back will be dangerous, you know."

"I know."

"Parthevia won't show mercy if they discover your identity."

"I know."

"You could die."

"I know."

Taking a deep breath, Sinbad stepped toward her. "You can stay. I'll take responsibility for you too, the way I should have years ago. Thalia, I…" His eyes darted to the ground.

Thalia's heart jumped in her chest. Was this her very own invitation to become a citizen of his country? She scolded herself for letting herself feel this kind of excitement. She still had a duty. There was no point in getting worked up over an offer she could never accept.

Even so, his concern warmed her. She rushed to reassure him.

"When I go back, it will be years from now, once I've gathered an army. Until then, I want to stay here… for as long as you'll have me, of course."

Sinbad let out a deep sigh, and Thalia interpreted it as relief. Maybe this new distance between them wasn't a sign that he was intentionally pulling away. Maybe he did miss her. Thalia started to reach out for him, aching for his familiar touch. Before she had even moved far enough for him to notice, she froze, terrified that instead of warm and safe and comforting, he would feel sticky and sweaty and feverish.

Another silence fell over them, this one even heavier than the last. Sinbad seemed completely lost in his thoughts. As Thalia studied his face for clues as to where they had taken him, she realized her assumption that he'd been sleeping well had been wrong. His eyes were as tired and bruised as they had been back on the island.

If he hadn't been sleeping any more soundly, perhaps the reason he hadn't sought her out was because there was someone else he'd been turning to, someone he trusted more. Of course, it made sense. His friends were all so amazing, and he'd known many of them much longer than he'd known Thalia, so it was only natural he'd rather turn to them…

When he moved his gaze back up, it didn't land on her. He focused on something over her shoulder instead.

"Sinbad."

A voice from over her shoulder caused Thalia to jump. She scrambled out of the way, not wanting to stand between Sinbad and what was doubtlessly yet another of the friends she could never hold a candle to. Once safely out of the way, she dared to peek at the new arrival. What she saw sent her entire body into numb shock.

Pink hair…

"Princess Serendine," Sinbad greeted her.

It's so short now…

Memories of the countless times Thalia had imagined burying her face in Serendine's beautiful mane clawed at her chest like a caged beast. Thalia had brushed it, had run her fingers through its silky softness, had lost herself in its scent. She'd loved it. Now it was gone.

Serendine was too absorbed in Sinbad to notice Thalia's presence. The two stared at each other, Sinbad slightly startled and Serendine calm and confident. Thalia decided she'd been right to assume they were close. After all, Serendine had a natural charisma about her, an air of authority and elegance Thalia had only ever hoped to mimic. On top of that, Serendine was strong. She had never lost to Junior in a sword fight, not once.

Those qualities had drawn drawn Thalia in, convinced her to deliver her wholehearted devotion. It was unfathomable to her that someone else might be immune to Serendine's draw. To Thalia, Serendine was worse than Lady Maader, her manipulations more effective and her betrayals a million times more painful. Even now, Thalia couldn't muster the rage she should have felt at the sight of the girl who'd killed her family and conquered her country. Thalia should have demanded a blood debt.

Instead, she watched quietly as Serendine meekly held out a bundle to Sinbad.

"Your clothes," Serendine told him. "You can't keep going around in just your underclothes, can you?"

The smile she gave Sinbad was radiant, all wrong for the face of a girl capable of cold-blooded murder. Thalia shuddered, remembering the cold-eyed Serendine of her nightmares. That was the real Serendine, not this innocent act. It had to be.

Serendine continued, bowing her head respectfully. "I fixed them for you… sewed up all the holes and the frayed edges. So, if you want to, please wear them."

With each word that left Serendine's mouth, Thalia's eyebrows knitted themselves further together. Where was the tomboy who'd never picked up a needle in her life? Where was the princess that had cut grown men down to size with a few well-chosen words? The one who'd never submitted to anyone and had scolded Thalia for being too subservient? Was this some kind of ploy…?

Sinbad hadn't moved to take the clothing from her, and Thalia watched as the cool-headed princess fumbled over her words, listing all the things she'd done in order to make herself useful during his absence. This was the monster had murdered Thalia's family?

Thalia took a tentative step forward at the same time Sinbad accepted the garment from her former friend. If there had been some kind of misunderstanding, there was no reason for her to be angry with Serendine. Whatever hardships had brought her here seemed to have humbled her. Someone who would murder their friend's entire family wouldn't apologize to Sinbad so earnestly, right?

"S- Serendine…" Clutching the lapel of her uniform, Thalia stammered her old friend's name.

Thalia had expected a smile, maybe tears of joy. Instead, Serendine paled, gaping at Thalia as though looking at a ghost. Something else was written across Serendine's face as well, an emotion Thalia was entirely too familiar with.

Guilt.

"Thalia…"

Guilt over what?

"Thalia… It's true then. You're alive."

Guilt over an unresolved spat? No, they hadn't fought before Thalia had been kidnapped.

"I- we thought you were dead."

So why would she be guilty unless…?

"You were gone for so long."

Thalia inhaled sharply. It's true. Serendine really did… and Thalia had nearly fallen for her act, the same way she'd fallen for Lady Maaders'. Keenly aware of Sinbad's presence, Thalia shoved down the building rage inside her, instead forcing out a pleasant smile.

"It's been so long since we last ran into each other like this."

"Everyone was looking for you," Serendine took a step backward. "You were a slave this whole time?"

"It's true." Thalia lifted her head, mirroring the pride Serendine had once been so full of. "So much has happened since we last played together as little girls. We should catch up sometime soon."

Serendine finally managed to school her face into a calm and polite expression. "How lucky we are to run into each other again after all these years. I'm afraid my job keeps me very busy, but if we ever find some time, let's catch up."

Like I'd ever want to talk to you again, you traitor. Serendine wanted to avoid her? That was fine. Thalia had merely extended the invitation for appearances. If she actually had to talk to Serendine, Thalia didn't know how long she would be able to restrain herself. She could already sense the bitter tears welling in her eyes.

"That sounds lovely."

Thalia glanced at Sinbad, who was watching the frosty exchange grimly. Thalia had already noticed he was perceptive. It was difficult to deceive him completely, but his intelligence wouldn't necessarily be her secret's downfall. She and Serendine had a perfectly good reason to be at odds. Serendine's country had conquered Thalia's. That was the ready explanation he would likely come up with himself, and it wasn't one that made Thalia look like she was throwing out baseless accusations.

Terrified she would come undone if she stayed any longer, Thalia made her exit.

"If you two will excuse me, I promised Dinarzade I would help her run an errand."

"Thalia!" Sinbad called after her, but she picked up her pace, her carefully sculpted mask beginning to crack. As soon as she rounded a corner, Thalia allowed herself to collapse, sobbing silently.

The reality that she would be living with the monster that murdered her family was no longer something she could ignore. When the first two days had passed without any sign of Serendine, Thalia had begun to convince herself they would never run into each other.

Now that her hopes had been dashed, there was nothing Thalia could do but submit. She was no longer a slave, but that was still all she ever did, all she ever could do. Submit.

* * *

 _Hands. Sweat. Skin._

Thalia should have screamed. Someone might have tried to stop it if she had screamed. Why hadn't she screamed? Didn't she want it to stop? What if she hadn't tried hard enough to stop it? What if it was her fault? What if—

Something landed on her toe, and Thalia yelped. She'd dropped the box she'd been carrying.

"Oi!" Her manager, Abbas, rushed over. "Careful with—" The next words he spoke came out garbled. She knew he had to be speaking the common language— it definitely wasn't the Torran language— but it made no sense to her. Lately, this was happening with increasing frequency. No matter how hard she concentrated, sometimes her ability to comprehend speech would just cut out. Then she was left looking like she hadn't been paying attention.

"Do you mind repeating that?" she asked sheepishly.

He furrowed his eyebrows. "Are you okay? You look pale."

Suddenly, Marcus's hand was on her shoulder. She panicked, smacking it away and toppling backward onto the cold stone floor in an attempt to escape. Her breath came out ragged as she realized he was about to hurt her again, but when she looked up, Marcus wasn't there. It was her manager, giving her a dirty look while he cradled his hand injuredly. Around him, her co-workers gathered around her, their prying eyes locked on her.

"S- sorry," she stammered. "I'm really—"

Abbas sighed. "Pack your things and leave. Don't bother showing up tomorrow."

"Please…" Thalia couldn't be fired. She couldn't lose her job here. There was nowhere else for her to go. Without a job, she would be forced to work in a brothel and—

"What's going on in here?" Sinbad's voice boomed, amplified by the acoustics of the warehouse. He shoved his way through the invasive crowd until he froze, having caught sight of her hyperventilating on the floor.

"Don't… f- fire me," she croaked between frantic breaths. "I can- I can still…"

Sinbad turned to the witnesses of her break down and pointed in the direction of the shipment they were supposed to be working on. "All of you get back to work."

As the grumbling group obeyed, he returned his attention to Thalia, squatting down beside her.

"No one's going to fire you."

"Well, she's sure as hell not working under me," Abbas cut in. "She drops things, she doesn't pay attention, and this is the third time she's thrown a tantrum like this. It's disruptive to the other employees."

Thalia let out a sob. She'd been trying so hard to prove she could be a good worker. She'd tried stay focused on a given task, attempted to commit instructions to memory, and avoided situations where she might accidentally touch someone, but she kept failing at every single one of those.

Abbas was right. Marcus had been right, too. She couldn't survive in the real world. Sinbad had overestimated her. He was going to realize that and toss her aside. Nobody wanted a slave with scars, and scars were all that were left of her.

Sinbad sighed. "Thalia, can you stand up on your own?"

She nodded, carefully lifting herself onto trembling legs before allowing him to walk with her to his office. When he pulled out a chair for her, she plopped into it, covering her face with her hands.

"I'm sorry," she whimpered pathetically. "I really am trying."

Sinbad sighed, squatting in front of her. "Don't be sorry, Thalia. I know how hard you're trying, and I'm going to keep protecting you. You're not going to lose your job."

Thalia didn't know if she could believe that. If she was a liability to the company, Sinbad would get rid of her. That's what a boss with any business sense would do. Sinbad hadn't gotten here by hiring useless employees.

She lifted her head, wiping the tears off her cheeks. "I don't need special treatment. What happened wasn't your fault. You don't owe me anything."

"I do." Sinbad rested a hand on the arm of her chair as though he were placing it on her knee. "I owe you, but that's not why I'm keeping you on as an employee. I've seen you work. You're going to get past this, and you're going to show everyone, even Abbas, how strong you are. They'll be fighting over you." He gave her a mischievous grin. "... and they'll all have to admit I was right."

Despite herself, Thalia had to laugh. "So this is about your ego?"

"No." He stood up, moving to his seat on the other side of his desk. "I just wanted to see you smile— and it worked."

Thalia had to admit Sinbad had cheered her up. When he said she was going to get through this, that these episodes were just temporary, she wanted to believe him. Thanking him for his time, Thalia returned to her dorm and spent the rest of the night reading until she fell asleep.

* * *

 _Hands. Sweat. Skin._

Now, on top of her nightmares about her family, her country, and the punishment room, a portion of her nights was allotted to reliving what had happened in that room with Marcus. It wasn't always Marcus in her dreams. Often, it was a stranger, sometimes more than one. Some of the dreams were more realistic than others, but tonight was one of the worst yet.

She woke up to the sound of her own sobbing and the grumbling of the other girls in the room. Dinarzade was already sitting on the side of the bed, running a comforting hand over her back and murmuring, "It was just a dream. You're safe now. I'm here."

"Don't touch me," Thalia snapped, her body recoiling from her friend's soothing attempts.

"Right. Okay." Dinarzade pulled her hand into her lap. "Do you want to go outside and talk about it?"

Thalia opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by one of the other girls.

"Go to bed. She's insane. You can't fix crazy."

"Thalia's not crazy," Dinarzade snapped. Even in the dark, she seemed ready to pounce on the next person to insult Thalia.

"Then what the hell's wrong with her?" another girl whined, her voice muffled as though she had her face buried in a pillow.

The blonde bristled. "It's no one's business."

"It is our business. We haven't gotten a full nights' sleep in weeks," a third girl grumbled.

"She can't help it!"

Thalia buried her head in her hands. She couldn't blame them for wanting to sleep without being woken up in the middle of the night by their broken roommate. She imagined if she could sleep through the night, she'd be upset by consistent interruptions too.

"Don't worry about me, Dinarzade. They're right. It's not fair to that my problems are affecting them. Just go back to bed."

"But-"

"Please." Thalia placed her hand next to Dinarzade's, not quite touching it. This was her way of trying to placate her concerned friend. She'd picked it up from Sinbad. He mimicked comforting gestures on things near Thalia. Backs of chairs, tables, columns, anything. She wasn't even sure if he did it consciously, but she appreciated it nonetheless and it worked. It was no replacement for the real thing, but she would take it for now. It was all she could handle.

These girls weren't like Sinbad, though. They didn't know what had been done to Thalia, and likely if they did they wouldn't accept it as an excuse for her disruptive behavior. As painful as it was, Thalia had to accept that these girls would never like her. She sought comfort in the fact that she had no desire to make new friends. Her ability to put in the effort to juggle even the friendships she already had was slowly dwindling. She had Sinbad, and she had Dinarzade. Some days, she had Drakon. That was enough.


	13. Kindred Spirits

**Kindred Spirits**

* * *

After the episode that had left her on the warehouse floor, Thalia had been moved to a different position under a different manager. She now took inventory on the salesfloor in the mornings, before the shop opened, and on shipments during the day. She needed to be up early, but since she rarely slept through the night, it was no problem. This job was also less physically taxing and required little oversight, though it did test the limits of her concentration. Still, she almost always managed to make the numbers work, and when she lost control of her emotions, there was rarely anyone to witness. All in all, this new task was much more comfortable for her. She wasn't good at it, but she wasn't terrible either. She was perfectly average.

That's why she was surprised when, several weeks in, Sinbad himself came to watch her work. It was unnerving, having the president of the company himself watch over her.

Fourteen vases. There were fourteen vases… and sixty plates… and…

She glanced back at her impatient boss. He didn't speak as she shuffled from box to box, tallying the total of this particular shipment of Imuchakk goods. He just tapped his fingers on a crate, his eyes following her every movement.

Did he want something? She didn't like him here. There was too much pressure. If she stopped to greet him, she would forget which boxes she'd already counted and have to start all over again. So, she just kept plowing through, pretending she wasn't aware his golden irises were burning into her back and that it wasn't slowly draining her sanity.

When she finally reached a stopping place she sighed loudly, setting her clipboard down dramatically and turning to face him.

"Sinbad," she greeted him coolly, refusing to let him see how off balance he'd left her. "What are you doing here?"

The tapping stopped. "I wanted to talk to you about something."

Shit. He wasn't here to praise her. She'd hardly done anything praiseworthy. So, he must have been about to fire her. Though her break downs had been occurring less frequently lately, they were still eating into her hours and she had expected as much for weeks. Even though she'd seen this coming, shame washed over her. He'd expected so much from her, and what had she done but let him down?

Opening her mouth, she prepared to give a long-winded speech about how sorry she was and beg him for some kind of recommendation letter she could show to potential employers. Maybe she could work at a fruit stand until they realized she was no good and kicked her out as well. She had enough money saved up that she could live on her own for a couple of months. Maybe it would turn out okay. Maybe—

He spoke. "I want to train you for a management position."

"I understand your decision, and I—" Thalia interrupted herself as his words sank in. He wasn't firing her. He was promoting her. Blinking, she furrowed her eyebrows. This was not the news she had been expecting. "I'm sorry?"

He leaned casually against the crate he had been tapping on earlier. "Your potential is being wasted. I didn't want to throw too much responsibility on you when you first got here because of… well…" She knew he was referring to the incident. "I know that was really hard on you. I wanted to give you time to process it, but you seem to be doing better now."

Thalia fell onto a chair-sized box, soaking in his words. He still thought she could be useful. He thought she was recovering, and he was right. She was recovering… but management? Could she do something like that? She'd never even managed herself.

"I don't know how to manage people. What if they don't listen to me?"

Sinbad waved her worries aside. "That's what the training is for. It'll be practice for when you're queen."

Thalia didn't tell him that if all went well, as a queen she'd do little more than sit in her room and support her king from behind the scenes. He seemed proud that he'd been able to make the connection to her long-term goals.

He continued. "I also want you to start attending lessons with me and Ja'far. We study business and economics under Rurumu's guidance every day. You're too smart not to have a tutor."

"I haven't done anything to earn any of this," she argued. All she had done so far was obey orders and manage to make a pariah of herself. Sinbad was being too generous. Even if they were friends, this was unfair to all the people in the company more talented than her who deserved a better position.

Sinbad shrugged. "I guess you'll just have to work extra hard to prove this wasn't a mistake." He paused and gave her one of his playful winks. "Though, I'm positive it won't be. I have faith in you."

There he was again, lifting her spirits with a few gentle words, telling her he believed in her. His encouragement was starting to feel less strange. She was terrified, but if he said she could do it, maybe she could.

Smiling, she stood back up, holding her head high. "I won't let you down."

"I have one more request." His demeanor changed instantly, the confident boy she knew suddenly failing to meet her eyes. "I want you to start eating dinner at a table with me and the other leadership. I know you're close to Dinarzade and the children, but…" He turned slightly red. "I never get to spend time with you anymore."

Was he embarrassed to ask this of her? Why? He wasn't alone. She'd noticed his absence as well. Thalia had been afraid to approach him while he spent time with his other friends, but he always seemed to be surrounded. Of course she would jump at any opportunity to spend more time with him.

She wished she could comfort him with a pat on the shoulder, but settled for placing her hand on the wooden box beside him. "Of course I'll sit with you."

* * *

Thalia's promotion had been strategic on Sinbad's part. She had tirelessly cared for the children back on Ria Venus Island, and though many of them still wished for Maader's return, they did have some loyalty toward Thalia. He had hoped to use her to gain their cooperation, and it had worked better than he could have imagined.

He watched with pride as the children raced to efficiently fill out paperwork, hurried sound of pens scratching against parchment filling the air. In this office, there was never a dull moment. Thalia had turned work into a game. Today's mission: the only way to save the company from an imminent pirate attack was to finish this paperwork by the deadline.

"The pirates are fifteen minutes away!" Thalia called out, brandishing her quill like sword. "They're readying their cannons!"

One of the little girls giggled, picking up her pace. "Faster, guys!"

The boy next to her let out a frustrated groan. "We're not going to make it."

Sinbad crossed his arms, surveying Thalia as she left her own paperwork to check on the boy, taking stock of his progress. She bit her cheek, thumbing through the stack of papers he had left.

"Who's almost finished?" she called out.

Another boy raised his hand eagerly, bouncing in his seat. When Sinbad had proposed bringing the kids into the company, the others had scoffed at him and told him kids had too much energy and couldn't focus. Thalia knew how to channel that energy productively, just as she was now.

Sinbad struggled to keep a straight face as Thalia sternly walked over to the boy and asked with a face dead serious, "Can you complete three more pages? The fate of the company depends on it."

"We'll definitely chase off those filthy pirates!" the boy cheered.

"That's the spirit!" She laid the extra pages on his desk and returned to her own, completely ignoring Sinbad. Sinbad, however, couldn't hold back anymore.

Once she had settled back into her seat and picked up her pen, he leaned over her and whispered, "Impressive."

Apparently he had startled her, because she jumped. His first instinct was to put a calming hand on her shoulder, but he held back. Thalia needed space. She needed time. She would let him touch her again eventually.

"I've asked you not to sneak up on me like that," she grumbled, not looking up from her work.

"You knew I was here," he laughingly reminded her. "For what it's worth, I am sorry. Startling you wasn't my intention."

Sighing, she finally twisted around to look at him. "I'm working. What do you want?"

He knew better than to interrupt her. She took her work very seriously, and while she had endless patience for the children, she had no qualms shooing him away. He'd known he would get this kind of reaction from her. He'd known and he had come anyway because being around her gave him something nothing else could: peace of mind.

He wasn't about to tell her that, though.

"I just wanted to tell you to keep up the good work." He gave her an encouraging smile. "Productivity is up twenty-five percent and the kids are enjoying themselves."

"I have to finish my paperwork too, or the pirates—" A slight pink brushed across her face. He'd disarmed her. Now he had to remind her who exactly she was snapping at.

"I'm your boss. I should be much scarier than imaginary pirates."

When wide-eyed horror that flashed across her face, he realized that had come off as more threatening than he'd intended. He rushed to quell her anxiety.

"Don't worry." He winked. "At this rate, not only will you get to keep your job, but I might even give you a raise."

"Might?" She balked, her mouth hanging open in disbelief. It seemed she had fully recovered already. "If productivity is up twenty-five percent, I expect a twenty-five percent raise for each of us."

His lips twitching into a grin, he had no choice but to concede. He couldn't say no when her department was now one of the most efficient in the company. "Fine. If this keeps up, you can all have raises."

From their desks, the children cheered. Their enthusiasm lifted Sinbad's spirits even further until he forgot about the pounding heart and sweating palms that had brought him here. Everything was normal again. He wasn't in the punishment chamber anymore. He was here with Thalia and these children, and he was safe.

"I finished!" the boy who had been running behind earlier cried out, holding his last paper in the air triumphantly. "Thalia's the only one left. Sin, stop distracting her! We have to save the company!"

Sinbad stepped back goodnaturedly and let Thalia return to her work. She was so serious, knitting her eyebrows together as she plowed through paper after paper. She seemed to throw herself into everything headfirst. In her eyes, even a simple task such as this seemed to be worthy of her full energy.

When she signed off on the last paper seconds before the sand in the hourglass ran out, the children all gathered around her, shouting and clapping. They'd defended the company from pirates successfully and were now celebrating their victory. Swept up in the mood, Sinbad laughed too. This was the most cheerful department in the entire company.

Thalia, he noticed, was returning more to her old self day by day. There had been a period when she seemed to be getting worse, but for a while now, with every sunrise, her smiles would last just a little bit longer, and her laughs became a little more genuine. Today was her best day yet. Laughter poured from her lips, carefree and mirthful.

Silently, he wished for more moments like this, where Thalia forgot everything that had happened to her and just lived. After everything she'd been through, she deserved it. She deserved happiness. His hand resting on the back of her chair, he smiled down at her fondly. One day, she would return to her country. She would have to face the horrors of war, and if she survived, she would carry the burden of running a struggling country on her shoulders. That laughter and those smiles would disappear. Until then, he was determined to bring as much joy into her life as possible.

Speaking of which, he had an announcement to make. Though his visit had been expedited by his uneasy mind, he had intended to make an announcement before the end of the day, and now that work was over, it was the perfect time.

Beaming, he cleared his throat loudly, gathering the attention of the children around him. "Tonight, we're all going to celebrate Meditrinalia!"

"Medi-what?" a girl asked, her head tilted to the side.

"Meditrinalia, the tasting of the freshest batch of wines." It was Sinbad's favorite holiday here in Reim, an excuse to get drunk and be merry. He loved it so much, he'd insisted on buying enough wine for all his employees to celebrate on the company's tab. Who wouldn't jump at the chance for free drinks?

The kids exchanged dubious glances.

"That sounds boring," one of them whined, kicking at the tile floor. "We're probably going to play instead."

Huh?

"And I'll probably just read a book," Thalia agreed, standing and gathering her things. Cursing under his breath, Sinbad stepped in front of her, blocking her path. He was not going to let her spend a dreary night alone reading another one of her history books. She could do that any night. Tonight, she was going to have fun. All he needed was to get her there.

Quickly, Sinbad came up with a lie. "No you won't. Company management is required to attend."

"Are they?" She sounded skeptical, leaning sideways to look past him as though she had better places to be. "That sounds like an arbitrary rule."

"It's not," he insisted, even though it definitely was. "It's a display of our company's willingness to come together to support our lower level employees. Come on." He pivoted, refusing to give her time to think. His argument would fall apart under the slightest scrutiny, and Thalia could easily back him into a corner. His only choice now was to lead her to the dining room and hope he could provide her with a night of distractions and fun.

As Thalia followed him out the door, he thought he heard her grumble something about having a tyrant for a boss. He chose to ignore it. He told himself she would thank him when she let loose and realized that life could be fun if she stopped hiding in her room all the time. If having her around kept him calm, that was a bonus.

When Sinbad arrive with Thalia in tow, Mystras and Rurumu were setting up the final places at the table, putting out plates, glasses and snacks. Rurumu looked up first, her eyes falling on Thalia.

"Well, hello. It's nice to see you could make it."

She extended a gentle smile to Thalia, who returned it politely from her place at his side. Thalia had yet to warm up to the others the way she had to Sinbad. She answered their questions and kept a cool facade, but he could tell she was still uncomfortable around them, even after three months. That was his other goal for tonight, to get her to open up to them, even just a little.

Mystras looked up and gaped, his eyes locked on Thalia. "She came! I didn't think she was going to come."

"Why wouldn't I have come?" Thalia responded coolly, her eyes fixed accusingly on Sinbad. "Aren't managers required to attend?"

Mystras started to answer. "N-"

"Yes!" Sinbad cut him off, sending him a meaningful look. Thalia had figured the lie out, but Sinbad still might be able to play it off. "Didn't you make sure everyone got the memo?"

Mystras shook his head, holding an empty glass against his chest nervously. "No, Sin. This is the first I'm hearing about this."

Sinbad laughed awkwardly. "I told you yesterday, remember?"

"I feel like if you'd really said something like that, I'd remember—"

"Well, go tell them now," he ordered.

Mystras nodded, making no attempt to hide his puzzlement. How could he be so clueless at a time like this? Couldn't he tell how important this was? This night had to be perfect because…

Sinbad glanced down at Thalia, who was nervously shifting from side to side. She understood him in a way he doubted any of his other friends ever could. She'd seen him at his most vulnerable and, instead of rejecting him, had patiently lifted him out of it. He wanted to do the same for her, even if right now all he could do was offer her wine and a good time.

"Shall we sit?" he offered, extending his hand out for her to take. He knew she wouldn't. She never did, but he liked to remind her that the invitation was still open, that he was still waiting. Whenever she was ready, things could go back to how they were before.

Today, she did something unexpected. Her eyes lingered on his outstretched palm, and for a moment he thought she really was going to take it. Then, she turned away and seated herself in her usual spot, patting the seat next to her in invitation.

Returning his hand to his side, he took his seat next to her. She hadn't taken that step, but she'd thought about it, and to him that was a victory worth celebrating.

As others began shuffling in, Sinbad opened a bottle, filling Thalia's cup first. Today was about him, yes. He was the wine lover, the one who loved parties, but he was sharing this with her. It was his responsibility to make sure she had fun.

Thalia raised an eyebrow and sniffed her drink cautiously. She must not have enjoyed the smell because she wrinkled her nose and pushed it away without so much as a sip. Sinbad sighed. Getting her to loosen up was going to be harder than he had hoped.

"You're not even going to try it?"

"I'm not," she confirmed, turning up her nose.

Stubborn. Sometimes he found it hard to believe the former slave girl was actually a princess, but during moments like this, she certainly acted like one. What was wrong with just trying it? Couldn't she at least humor him?

"Thalia, it's the nectar of the gods! The greatest discovery of man after fire!" He took a large sip from his own cup and let out a refreshed sigh.

She remained unmoved. "It smells awful."

"I agree." Ja'far sat down across from Sinbad, accompanied by Hinahoho and the others. "This whole party was a waste of funds."

Sinbad pushed her drink back toward her as she nodded in agreement with Ja'far. She was never going to have fun like this. "That, my friend, is the smell of a good time. You're both too uptight. Trying new things would do you some good, Thalia."

"I try new things every day," she countered. "I think you could use more consistency."

Ja'far butted in to defend her as well. "Sin, if she doesn't want to drink, don't force her."

Sinbad waved his concerns away. "Thalia, just one drink. For me?" He gave her his most dashing smile.

His plea, delivered with all the charm he could muster, failed to faze her.

"Uncut wine is for barbarians," she proclaimed with an heir of haughtiness he'd only seen rivaled in Serendine and Drakon. "It makes people act like lechers, fools, and brutes."

"Ah," Ja'far leaned in. "I've been reading a bit about Attican culture since you joined us. That's a common belief there, right?"

Sinbad raised an eyebrow.

Thalia nodded slowly. When she spoke again, her voice was strangled. "It's true though, isn't it? I've seen it for myself."

Sinbad imagined she was referring to the drunken patrons on the island. She'd mentioned there had been groping and pinching in her letter. There were definitely people like that, but the alcohol wasn't the problem. It was their lack of respect.

"Nonsense," Sinbad leaned back in his chair and pointed at himself. "Look at me for example. Would I do something like that?"

Hinahoho turned away from his conversation with Mystras to give his input. "Sin, you're a terrible example." He moved his attention to Thalia. "There's nothing wrong with drinking in moderation. It won't turn you into any of those things. The problems start when people drink excessively. Of course, if you don't want to drink, you don't have to either. That's entirely up to you, right Sin?"

Sinbad looked away from Hinahoho's gaze guiltily. He supposed he had been a little pushy. He'd just been trying to share something he enjoyed with someone he cared about. She'd done so much for him. He wanted to return the favor.

"Right."

Rurumu nodded in approval.

Suddenly, in the corner of his vision, he saw Thalia's fingers wrap hesitantly around the stem of the glass.

"Just a little won't hurt me… right?" She looked to Hinahoho, who confirmed it was true.

To Sinbad's amazement, Thalia brought the cup to her lips and tasted its contents, her face scrunching up as soon as it hit her lips.

"That was awful," she grimaced.

Sinbad laughed, wiping a tear from his eye. He'd hoped she would like it and that he'd have a new drinking buddy, but her dismayed expression was an acceptable alternative. "It's an acquired taste for most people."

But she'd tried it. That's what he cared about. She'd let him share this with her.

Hours passed, drink after drink making its way past Sinbad's lips. Thalia was talking to the others— really talking this time, not just humoring them. She didn't drink, but she laughed and smiled. She was having fun, and it was beautiful. She was beautiful, and not in the friendly way he'd seen her before. He imagined himself tracing his lips along the slope of her jaw and kissing her delicate neck until his name fell from her lips. He wanted her. He hadn't wanted anyone in months, but now he wanted her.

The drink might have been part of it, but he knew that wasn't entirely it. This had been a long time coming. Thalia had been healing, and he had been too. Things were finally back to normal, and he was finally letting his guard down. Tonight, it was as though he were waking from a long slumber.

Slowly, the room emptied out until it was just him and Thalia alone in the dying lamp light. He picked up a glass of water to rehydrate, desperate to sober up before he said something rash. She wasn't helping. Over the last hour, she'd been growing increasingly skittish, and every time she chewed her bottom lip, it sent his heart racing. Was she thinking the same thing he was? Was she just too shy to tell him she wanted him?

Probably not. The last time he'd touched her, she'd fallen apart. She'd gotten better, but letting him ravage her was a step he highly doubted she was ready to take.

He leaned forward, channeling an air of sobriety. He was good at faking, even when the room was spinning and his thoughts were still muddled.

"Is everything alright?" he asked.

She averted her eyes, hunching her shoulders, and he had to chuckle. Did she realize how charming it was when she acted so shy? She certainly wasn't making this any easier for him.

"I know this is a really, really strange request, but can I touch you?"

The unexpectedness of her request caught him off guard, and he coughed to hide his sudden intake of breath. Yes. She could touch him any way she wanted, but he hadn't previously been under the impression that she felt that way toward him, or anyone, at this point. It seemed too good to be true.

"If you're ready for something like that," he told her. Before he touched her, he wanted to be absolutely sure that it was something she wanted.

She nodded resolutely, her eyebrows furrowed. After taking a deep breath, she took his hands in her own trembling ones. He began to understand she hadn't been offering herself to him. She simply wanted to face her fears. He almost laughed at himself for letting his imagination get carried away.

"You don't have to push yourself." He assured her, watching her chest rise and fall with her ragged breathing.

Her voice shook as she responded, but he wasn't sure if it was motivated by fear or anger. "I refuse to let my entire life be controlled by what one person did."

"No," he agreed. "You're much too stubborn for that." His hand moved to brush a hair out of her face, and she didn't shrink away. "I like that about you."

Her dark eyes searched his, and he didn't dare break away. Could she see how much he wanted to be with her? He would be gentle. He would let her take the lead. They would go at her pace, even if it took months, years. Could she be ready to accept that he saw her as a woman?

Her eyes grew wider, horror dawning on her face as she began to understand his intentions. Scrambling backwards along the bench, she paced an uncomfortable amount of distance between them.

As she collected her things, her words were hurried, panicked. "It's really late. I should get to bed."

Now Sinbad really was sober, the shock of her rejection having cleared the fog that had been clouding his thoughts. Of course she wasn't ready. She'd just been raped, and the last thing she needed was someone she trusted putting the moves on her. He stood up, taking a couple steps back to give her even more space.

"Are you okay? Can we at least talk?" He wanted to reach out to her, but held back for fear of further frightening her.

"There's nothing to talk about," she insisted. "Goodnight."

"Thalia!" he called after her, mentally kicking himself. She didn't need a lover. She needed someone safe, dependable. So, he swore to himself that from now on, he wouldn't treat her as a woman. She was like a sister to him. That was all.

* * *

Thalia wandered the hallways of the the company mindlessly. She'd finished her work for today, and had nothing better to do than scold herself for how she'd acted the other night. The look Sinbad had given her had terrified her. It spoke of desires she could not return. And yet, the next time she'd seen him, it was gone. She was beginning to believe she had imagined it. Maybe she really was losing her mind.

"Thalia, there you are." Ja'far interrupted her thoughts by accosting her with a bundle of books. "I need you to post these journal entries to the ledger by tomorrow. You remember how, right?"

Thalia blanked. Accounting was not her strong suit, no matter how patient a teacher Rurumu was. "Assets equal liabilities plus stockholder's equity?"

"What? No, that's a balance sheet." He scrutinized her closely. "It may be a mistake to trust you with this, but I'm already too busy, and it will be good practice for you."

Thalia nodded. She'd been watching Ja'far for months. He was a diligent student and worker. He deserved a break, and she was happy to give him any sort of reprieve from his endless work.

But accounting really was not her strong suit.

Later that night, she pulled another candle out of a drawer and lit the wick as its predecessor flickered in its dying throes. What time was it now? She'd gone through at least two candles since sundown. She would have been done hours ago, but every time she attempted a trial balance, the numbers didn't add up.

"Where is that stupid mistake?" she groaned under her breath, pulling at her hair.

With a huff, she stood up. She needed a break. She wasn't going to get anywhere like this. Picking up the candle holder, she made her way into the courtyard to get some fresh air. Maybe it would help clear her head.

Outside, the moon was bright and the air was cool. Thalia crossed her arms and leaned against a pillar, looking up at the stars. They shimmered playfully up in the sky, carefree and out of reach. She envied them. They would never know the touch of a man, never grow to fear it.

"Thalia?"

Thalia jumped as Ja'far's voice sliced through the air. She had believed she would be the only one up this late. Pushing aside the apprehension she felt at being alone with a boy she barely knew, she resisted the urge to run. As she had told Sinbad last night before she'd screwed everything up, she refused to let her fear control her. Besides, if Sinbad trusted him, she did too.

"Ja'far! What are you doing up?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing," he said, scratching his head. "Could you not sleep?"

Thalia considered lying. What would he think of her if he knew she was struggling with what amounted to basic addition and subtraction? Then again, he would find out she hadn't been able to make the ledgers balance tomorrow anyways. She explained her situation.

Ja'far's brows knitted into a frown.

"Why don't you let me look over it? You can go to bed. You've done enough."

"You've been up late working too, am I wrong?" Thalia crossed her arms, staring him down.

He let out a haggard sigh. "I'm used to working this late."

"I don't usually sleep much either," she confessed uneasily, hoping he wouldn't ask for elaboration. "So it's fine."

The freckled boy stared at her for a moment before he acquiesced, his shoulders drooping. "Show me the ledgers."

She brought him back to the desk she had been working at and pulled out the chair for him to sit in. For several minutes, he studied her work, letting out an occasional grunt.

"Ah, I see," he finally mumbled. She leaned in closely to see what his scarred hand was pointing at. "Right here, you forgot to credit the cash account for this transaction."

Thalia rubbed her temples and took a deep breath. She'd combed through every transaction thoroughly for hours to no avail, and Ja'far had found her mistake in a fraction of that time.

"You're amazing," she told him, not even attempting to mask the awe in her voice.

"You'll get better with practice," he assured her, scooting his chair back to stand up. "Try to get some sleep. I know it's hard after you've been through something traumatic, but it gets better with time. Trust me. I have first hand experience."

"You do?" She'd often wondered about the scars that littered what little of his skin was visible under his uniform. She'd assumed that he'd gotten them during his days as an assassin, but now that she thought about it, he was already so young. How could he have chosen a past like that on his own? "Were you a slave too?"

He pressed his lips together. "Something like that. I prefer not to talk about it."

"Of course," she responded, deflated. She hadn't meant to pry, but the idea that Ja'far was a kindred spirit had both disturbed and delighted her. She had hoped to feel a little less alone.

"I need you to help me again tomorrow. Go rest," he commanded.

"I'll do my best!" she responded cheerfully, though in truth, she still dreaded closing her eyes and entering her world of nightmares. Would time really be enough to make them go away?

Yawning, he gave a lazy wave goodnight and returned to his chamber. Thalia watched him go, thinking of his scars. How many more scars did he have on the inside that she'd never seen? If he could recover, she could too.


	14. Voyage to Balbadd

**Voyage to Balbadd**

* * *

Thalia plopped a pile of papers on Sinbad's desk, clapping her hands together as though she were wiping off the remains of the work she had just finished. Five order forms complete. She was done. Now she could go back to her room and hide, so long as—

"Thalia! Just the person I wanted to see!"

Sinbad twisted in his chair to face her, a wide grin splayed across his face. She narrowed her eyes. That placative smile was one she was intimately familiar with. He was about to give her extra work, wasn't he?

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. Her brand new book about the recent unification of Kou, Gai, and Go would have to wait. Apparently, being a salaried worker was akin to selling your soul— or, at least, your free time.

"What's with that expression?" Sinbad's shoulders slumped. "Can't a guy be happy to see his best friend?"

 _We both know that's not what's going on here_ , Thalia thought, tapping her foot impatiently. He was never this happy to see her unless he wanted something, and that something was usually work-related.

Crossing her arms, Thalia cut to the chase. "What is it and how much will it affect my bonus if I say no?"

"Huh?" Sinbad drew back in surprise before doubling over with laughter as though she'd just told him a hilarious joke.

Thalia raised her eyebrow. Was what she'd said really that funny?

When he finally caught his breath, he stood up, leaning his weight on one hand on his desk. "No, it's not extra work."

 _Oh_. "Oh." So… if it wasn't work, what was it he wanted from her?

"Have you ever been to Balbadd?" With his index finger, he tapped the wooden surface of his workspace casually.

"Once or twice when I was small. Usually, we sent delegates to negotiate trades with them. Why?"

He gave her that smile again, the suspicious one that made her think he wanted something from her, and sat back down, shuffling around papers on his desk. "Hinahoho, Ja'far, and I are sailing there to discuss the relocation of the headquarters with King Rashid."

Ah. Sinbad would be leaving. She would be on her own for a few days, and he was just making sure she would be okay. His thoughtfulness made her lips twitch into a smile. Sometimes as a boss, he could be a bit of a tyrant, but he still had a soft side. She supposed she could forgive him for making her work overtime last week.

"Anyway," he continued. "I've thought about this for a while now… I think you should come."

"Come… to Balbadd?" Thalia froze. She just did paperwork and supervised the children. What good would her presence be in Balbadd? "But why?"

Sinbad frowned, knitting his thick eyebrows together. "I'd like to have you around, just in case…"

"In case what?"

He shook his head and met her gaze. "Princess, court etiquette can be tricky, wouldn't you agree?"

"Well, yes, but—"

"And who better to help us navigate than you, someone who spent most of her childhood in the heart of politics?"

Thalia leaned forward, scrutinizing his expression. His eyes gave him away. His explanation made sense, but it wasn't the whole story. He was hiding something from her. Though, she supposed everyone had their secrets. She didn't need him to be completely honest. She just needed him to be her friend.

Smiling, she straightened her back. "Of course I'll go with you." She would follow him to the ends of the earth if it meant she could stay by his side, but somehow, she felt telling him that would be crossing a line she couldn't uncross.

Instead, she asked, "When do we leave?"

He gave her a sheepish grin. "Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Inhaling deeply, Thalia rubbed her temples. Why had he waited so long to bring this up? Surely this entire thing hadn't been planned at the last minute, so why?

"Who's going to cover my shifts?" she demanded. "Dinarzade only has one day off this week, and there's no way I could ask her—"

"Relax." Sinbad motioned for her to calm down with his hands. "I'll take care of it. Just go pack, okay?"

Thalia nodded obediently, confident that if Sinbad said he would fix it, he would. He could be a bit irresponsible, but he always made things work in the end. She was learning that about him every day. He seemed so carefree, but he knew exactly how long he could neglect his work before it got out of hand.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" she asked, brushing her hair behind her ear.

"Bright and early," he confirmed, turning back to his work. Thalia stood over him awkwardly, bursting with questions. What should she pack? Was it okay to wear her uniform in the presence of a king? She opened her mouth to ask, but Sinbad looked so serious, concentrating on the papers in front of him. Rather than interrupting him, she slid out of the room quietly. She would simply have to figure it out on her own.

The next day, Thalia stood with her companions in the company's shipyard. The huge vessel that would carry them to Balbadd dwarfed her. It's primary purpose was as a shipping vessel, but it looked as though they would be hitching a ride on this delivery to cut costs for the company. Around them, the shouts of men unloading cargo echoed, giving the place a bustling atmosphere.

"Are you ready?" Hinahoho's cheerful voice addressed her.

Thalia looked up at the blue-haired giant and nodded. She certainly hoped she was. She hadn't known what to pack for a journey like this, and so she'd brought whatever she thought she might need— clothing, toiletries, and a small book.

Picking up her bag, she took a deep breath and took the first tentative step onto the wooden ramp, flinching as it shifted underneath her weight. Was this ramp safe? It didn't seem safe.

"Come on," Sinbad chided, striding past her with ease. "This isn't your first time on a ship."

He was right. She had been riding ships her entire life, but only once had she boarded a cargo ship, and at that time, she had been the cargo. Maybe what she was afraid of wasn't the wobbly ramp, but that once she'd reached the other end, she'd end up with the boxes, below deck.

"Thalia!" Sinbad stood at the top, the wind whipping his hair, his hand stretched out for her. Suddenly, Thalia felt brave. No one would hurt her. Sinbad was there, and he would never let that happen.

She bounded toward him, closing the rest of the distance between herself and the deck with ease. She was met with encouraging praise from the three boys accompanying her, although what she had done was hardly an accomplishment. Sinbad and Ja'far began discussing the course the captain was taking, and Thalia set down her luggage. Craning her neck to look around, she watched the crew busily securing ropes and moving cargo. Dread grew in her chest as she realized that not a single woman was among them. Was she really going to be stuck on a ship with a bunch of strange men for the next week?

She shuffled closer to Sinbad, seeking his protection. She didn't intend to let herself out of his sight until they reached Balbadd.

"What the hell is this?" Thalia jumped when a gruff voice rang out over the other sounds of the shipyard. Barreling toward them was a gruff, middle aged man. He appeared to have a limp, but it certainly didn't hobble him. He shoved his way between her friends, reaching out for her. Thalia recoiled, but the man didn't reach her. Hinahoho had blocked his path, and Ja'far had a knife pointed to his throat.

Sinbad stood with his arms crossed and smiled diplomatically, a deceptively cheerful smile crossing his face. "Captain Reis, I presume?"

"Aye, that I am." The man stumbled back a few steps away from Ja'far's knife, scowling. "Call off yer dogs and get that she-witch off me ship! Nobody said nothin' 'bout her comin' along!"

"Thalia was a last-minute addition to our party," Sinbad explained calmly. "We've already paid for her passage."

The captain's beard quivered with anger, his already ruddy face turning violet. "I don't care if ye paid! We can't take off until the lass is off this ship."

This kind of treatment wouldn't have been unusual back in Attica, but this was the first time she'd seen it in Reim. She leaned over to look past Hinahoho and squinted at the man, attempting to make out any Attican features under all the wrinkles and wiry hair. Perhaps he was a refugee going by a false name.

"What the hell?" Ja'far interrupted her concentration with an uncharacteristic outburst. "Don't forget who pays your salary, you dolt. You work for the Sindria Trading Company, and when we tell you to transport one of our employees, you need to fuckin' do it or we won't renew your contract."

"Look around ye, lad!" Spittle flew from his cracked lips, splattering poor Ja'far. "Do you see any women? I ain't never lost a ship because I don't allow harpies on board, and I don't intend to start!"

Thalia resisted the urge to return the insult and instead tried to engage calmly with this man. Attican superstitions were no more real than the goddess. If she could reason with him, he might see that as well.

"I don't follow, sir. How would my presence cause a shipwreck?"

He looked at her incredulously. "T'would anger the gods, of course!"

Of course. Thalia sighed, having little patience for those who would use religion to discriminate, but feigning it anyway. "I've been on many ships throughout my life, and the water god has always granted me safe passage."

"What do ye know about the gods, Missy?" He hocked out a wad of spit onto the plank floor. "'Sides, even if yer presence doesn't bother the water god, if I let ye on here, me men will be fightin' over ye. If there's one thing that causes strife among men, it's a pretty lass."

By now, Thalia was thoroughly convinced he was, indeed, one of her citizens, and a stubborn one at that. She picked up her bag, resigning herself to the fact that she wouldn't be coming along for this trip.

"I'll keep an eye on her." Sinbad countered. "None of your crew will dare touch her."

"T'will hardly stop them from trying," the captain grumbled. Thalia shuddered. She was quickly becoming less certain about coming on this trip.

"Then we'll pay double for her fare." Sinbad took out his coin purse and began to count out several farsu.

The captain shook his head. "Sorry, boy. The gods can't be bought."

"Triple," Sinbad tried again. "Plus, we'll replace your ship with a better one in the event that it gets damaged."

"Sin, we were trying to save money," Ja'far hissed. "This is way over budget."

Captain Reis stroked his silver streaked beard in thought. "Fine, fine. But she better not start any trouble or it's the plank for 'er."

Giving Thalia one last warning glare, Captain Reis wandered off, barking orders at the crew. Hinahoho turned to Thalia and smiled at her apologetically.

"Ignore him," he advised her. "Old fogies like him cling to their superstitions, but most of the crew are younger and more open minded. They won't give you a hard time. And if they do, just let me know. I'll take care of it." To emphasize his strength, he flexed his giant arms.

Thalia giggled, finding his cheerful demeanor infectious. "Believe it or not, that mindset is common in my homeland. I'm more worried that you got scammed. Was it really okay to offer him so much?"

"No," Hinahoho and Ja'far responded in unison.

Sinbad scowled. "It's fine. The company could afford it, and we don't have time to find another ship." He looked to Thalia, and his expression softened. "I'm sorry you had to hear him talk like that. I promise, the crew won't be nearly as bad as Captain Reis makes them out to be."

"Why don't we let Thalia set her things down," Ja'far suggested, his eyes locked on her warily. "That bag's probably heavy, right?"

Thalia decided to dismiss Ja'far's strange expression as concern. Her bag was a bit heavy, and he had always been polite. Her discomfort must have been visible on her face. Why else would he be giving her that look? She hadn't done anything wrong, had she?

Motioning for her to follow him, Hinahoho said, "Come on, Thalia. We'll show you where we'll be sleeping." He led her to a door in the front of the ship, stooping through it. On the other side, two sailors sat on boxes, chewing beans. They looked up, sizing up Sinbad's motley crew as they shuffled in. They seemed not to know whether to stare at Thalia or Hinahoho.

"A woman and a giant," the red-head muttered, his eyes wide. "Do you think he'd crush me if I docked in her for a bit?"

Thalia frowned. She'd had many crude comments like that directed at her over the years, and they weren't nearly as charming or original as the people who made them seemed to think.

The boy next to the red-head giggled nervously at the joke, shinking away from Hinahoho's glare.

"No one's to touch Thalia." Ja'far crossed his arms, his expression grim. "She's a valuable employee and if we catch wind any of you are treating her with anything but the utmost respect…"

"You'll have to deal with me," Sinbad stepped forward, brandishing his scimitar.

The two boys looked at him, their faces remaining statically unimpressed.

"Who are you, exactly?" the red-head asked. "Some spoiled rich kid, it looks like."

"I'm Sinbad, your boss." Sinbad resheathed his sword and crossed his arms.

The boy who had not yet spoken straightened. "The Sinbad? Like, Sinbad of the Seven Seas? That Sinbad?"

The other boy spit out his bean. "No way. Lady Killer of the Seven Seas Sinbad? Then is she your—"

"I'm not anyone's anything," Thalia interrupted. "Lady Killer of the Seven Seas? What the hell does that mean? Did someone murder a bunch of women and frame you, Sin?"

Hinahoho cleared his throat. "It's an expression. You've never heard anyone called a lady killer?"

The sailors watched her, threatening to burst out with laughter. "How sheltered is this chick?"

Thalia could tell she'd said something wrong and brought her hands to her burning cheeks.

"You've never even come across that term in one of your books, Thalia?" Ja'far asked her, awestruck.

"No. Why would I?"

"She mostly reads boring books about dead people," Sinbad explained. "I doubt she has."

"History isn't boring," Thalia quipped. "Modern novels are boring. What can I learn from them that I can't learn by leaving the house?"

"Apparently what the term "lady killer" means," the red-haired boy mumbled.

"Well, then. Educate me. What does it mean?"

"It means he's good at charming the ladies," Ja'far explained.

"Charming them into bed," expanded the red-haired boy. "He fucks them."

Fuck… like when a man and a woman… Thalia remembered the night she'd imagined him looking at her as though he wanted to do exactly that. But that had been her imagination. The lamps had been running out of oil, and it had been dark, and it hadn't really happened.

Thalia felt a familiar churning in her stomach, something she'd long grown used to ignoring. It was something she hadn't experienced in years and something she wasn't willing to acknowledge even now. Sinbad was polite. He never touched her without permission, and certainly not the way a pervert would. Clearly, he'd never been inappropriate with a woman. There was no way he was a world renown lecher.

"Well," she huffed. "He's always been a perfect gentleman to me." She looked up to Sinbad, whose face was colored a bright crimson. That was not the face of a man who'd bedded hundreds of women, it was the face of an embarrassed boy. "It sounds like a bunch of unfounded rumors to me. There's no way Sinbad would sleep around like that, right guys?"

Thalia waited for Sinbad to respond, but he refused to even meet her eyes. She looked to Ja'far, but he appeared equally uncomfortable, inspecting the ceiling nervously. Even Hinahoho was shifting his weight from foot to foot nervously.

"Guys?"

Sinbad sighed. "No offense, Thalia, but I really don't want to talk about my sex life with you. Just pick your bed." He gestured to the rows of bunk beds lining either side of the room.

Sex life. He talked as though he had one. The nauseous feeling in her stomach grew stronger, and suddenly she was angry with him— angry for taking that step into adulthood so soon, angry for not living up to her ideal, angry because right now, all she could think about was how what had been done to her, he'd done with someone else. She was furious.

Ignoring the red-haired boy's howling laughter, Thalia silently tossed her bag onto a random top bunk, thinking if someone tried to assault her in the middle of the night, she would wake up from the sound of them climbing the ladder and have time to kick them in the face.

"Good choice." Sinbad threw his things on the bunk below hers, and Thalia calmed down a little. Maybe he was the person everyone had said he was, but he was still Sinbad. He still wouldn't touch her without her permission, and he still made her feel safe.

Ja'far took a bed adjacent to them and Hinahoho looked at the tiny bunks wistfully.

"Guess I'll be sleeping on the deck, huh?"

This brought another round of laughter, this time from both the crew members.

"Nasha! Ravi! Get over here, ya lazy scoundrels or ye'll be walkin' the plank!" Captain Reis's voice carried in from outside.

"Shit!" the red-head cried. "He noticed we're gone."

The other boy nodded, and they both scrambled outside.

Even on the first day, life on the ship was already becoming monotonous. The sailors and her friends dealt with it by drinking heavily, but she hated the smell, and hated being around them. The book she had brought was small, but particularly dense. She could only stomach a little at a time before it gave her a headache.

So, instead, she entertained herself by leaning on the rail of the boat, watching the sun dip below the sea. She'd loved to watch the sunset from her room back in Attica, and that love was one of the few things in her life that had stayed consistent.

"Thalia~" Sinbad drawled her name, coming up from behind. She'd been aware he was approaching. She could smell him before he'd even spoken. He'd been drinking.

"Sin~" she mimicked playfully.

He chuckled. "Do I really sound that bad?"

"You do."

He grinned mischievously, leaning in toward her. "Good, that means I can say anything and you can't get mad at me."

Thalia pursed her lips. "I don't know about that."

"Has…" He hiccuped. "Has anyone told you you're the most beautiful girl on this ship?"

Her lips twitched in amusement at his feeble attempt at a compliment. "I think that goes without saying, since I'm the only girl on the ship."

"Exactly," he asserted. "Most beautiful."

"Is that what you had to get drunk to tell me?" She rolled her eyes. The joke was cute enough, but she wasn't particularly fond of seeing him like this. It reminded her too much of her drunkard mother and some of the more handsy patrons. Still, she was growing used to it. Though she wouldn't call him a responsible drinker, he seemed to have his habits under control and kept his touches respectful.

"Why would I have to get drunk to tell you that?" He leaned on the deck rail, and Thalia grabbed onto his wrist with both hands, worried he'd topple over in his current state.

Tugging him upright, she asked, "Did you want something, Sin?"

He smiled, cupping his large hand over one of hers. "No, you just looked lonely over here by yourself."

"I'm not lonely. You know I don't like to be around drunk people."

He snorted. "Ja'far's not drinking. Come over and keep him company."

She glanced over to Ja'far, who quickly looked away. He had been watching. It seemed like he was always watching Sinbad, and as of this morning, he'd been watching her as well. He didn't look at her the way he looked at Sinbad, though. The expression he wore when he looked at her was more like he expected to catch her doing something wrong. She'd explained it away this morning, but by now she couldn't ignore it. He didn't trust her anymore, and she couldn't understand why.

"If you're that concerned, you can watch the sunset with me. Otherwise..." She turned back to the horizon pointedly, removing her hands from his wrist.

"Hey," Sinbad suddenly sounded very sober. It was uncanny how quickly he could rebound when he wanted to. He held up a flask to her eye level. "At least drink some grog."

Her grimace made him chuckle.

"What's the matter, Princess? You're too spoiled to drink watered down wine?"

"It tastes terrible." But, aside from the first sip she'd had earlier, she hadn't had anything to drink today. Admittedly, she was thirsty.

Grabbing the flask from him, she choked its contents down. Fresh water would have gone bad by the time they reached Balbadd, so the grog was her only option to stay hydrated. Still, with every swill it became harder to stomach.

"Welcome to the life of an adventurer," he told her. "Not very glamorous, is it?"

She laughed indignantly. She hadn't known glamor in years. "It's not so bad. At least we're free."

"You're right," he agreed.

Thalia stared at the planks next to Sinbad's feet, pondering the missteps and sacrifices it had taken to get to this point. Her pleasant mood began to sink under the weight of her guilt. Her family, her people, her country… everything that had happened was her fault.

Sinbad must have noticed she was getting lost in her own thoughts, because he quickly changed the subject.

"The sunset is beautiful, don't you think?"

She scoffed. "You're not even looking."

"I don't have to."

Crossing her arms in front of her, she turned her attention to the saturated skyline. He was right. It was beautiful, as it had been every other time she'd seen it, but somehow, with him by her side, the colors seemed brighter, more alive.

She looked back to her friend, who was leaning over the rail, the last rays of light dancing in his golden eyes. His chiseled chin, his full lips, his long flowing hair… he was more breathtaking than any sunset. How hadn't she noticed it before? He was…

"Is something wrong?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. She'd been staring, and he'd noticed.

She couldn't tell him the real reason she'd been staring, that she had been admiring his perfect visage. He would definitely get the wrong idea and tease her. He didn't think about her that way, and she didn't think about him like that either. They were friends. They would always be friends.

Friendship was safe.

"No, I just… you have something on your face." She reached up and stroked his cheek with her thumb, pretending to wipe something away. "There we go." Bringing her hand to her lips, she pretended to blow an eyelash out to sea. "All gone."

He was quiet for a moment, apparently mulling something over.

"You know," His mouth twitched up into a lopsided grin. "I'm either drunk or there wasn't anything there. Thalia, did you just flirt with me?"

"Me? Flirt? With you?"Thalia forced out an awkward laugh, punching him in the arm. She hadn't been flirting. Of course she wouldn't flirt, not with him. "Sinbad, you're definitely drunk. Maybe you need to sit down."

He scratched his neck sheepishly, taking a step back. "You're right. I should go sit down." Her turned, heading toward the cabin.

"Sin?" she called after him, a gust of wind sweeping her cry out to sea.

Her call must have reached him anyway, because he turned around. "It's getting dark. I'm going inside."

Thalia hadn't even noticed, but the sun was almost completely beneath the waves. Now Sinbad had left her alone with nothing but the desolate darkness to keep her company. Thalia glanced around at the others on deck, rugged men many of whom were nearly double her size. It occurred to her that she didn't feel safe by herself. Feeling a chill creep up her spine, she scampered after Sinbad, seeking safety at his side.

By day two, Thalia realized that talking to the same three people every day would become old fast. For the sake of her sanity, she set aside her apprehensions and tried to branch out and talk to the crew members. She caught Ravi, the quiet sailor from the first day, reading a book. He was closer to her size than any other member of the crew, and seemed the least threatening. Sitting on the crate next to him, she peered over his shoulder curiously.

"What are you reading?"

"The Adventures of Sinbad," he told her enthusiastically, holding up the cover of the book for her to see.

Thalia gave a sideways glance to her friend, who was playing card games over a few beers. He slapped Hinahoho on the back in a congratulatory manner. Apparently the Imuchakk had just played a decent round. "Someone wrote a book about him?"

"Several." Ravi gave her a heart-warming smile. "He wrote them himself. I'm on the third book, but I've read them all at least five times."

"I didn't know he was a writer," she mused, inspecting the hard cover of the book. "Can I borrow the first one? I might throw myself overboard if I don't find something to do."

He nodded, the braid framing the side of his face swaying with the movement.

"You really seem to look up to him," she added. "Why don't you go up and talk to him for a bit? He's really nice, I swear."

Ravi lowered his book, his hazel eyes clouding over. "No way. Thanks to Nasha, I made a horrible first impression. He hates me. I know it."

"Sinbad hates one kind of people: manipulative ones." Like Lady Maader. "You seem earnest, and I think he'll see that in you and appreciate it," Thalia encouraged him.

"Will you introduce us?" Ravi scratched his tawny hair shyly. "I want him to sign my copy of his book."

Thalia stood, pumping her fists enthusiastically. She was about to make this boy's day.

"Yes! Let's do it right now." Marching in Sinbad's direction, she motioned for Ravi to follow.

"Are you sure?" she heard him protest from behind her. "He looks busy."

Thalia waved away his concerns. Sinbad could make time for his biggest fan, couldn't he? Besides, he wasn't that busy. He appeared to be in the final rounds of a poker game, the only remaining opponent being Nasha, the red haired boy from yesterday. Sinbad announced which cards he was playing, but his dead eyes betrayed him again.

Without looking at his cards, Thalia immediately called his bluff.

He threw his hand down and rose to his feet. "Thalia? What the hell? Why are you helping him? That's cheating."

"You're busy," she shrugged. "I need you unbusy."

"Fine. I fold." He passed the winnings over to Nasha, who was cackling hysterically and howling something about Sinbad being whipped. "What is it? Is someone bothering you?"

"No, actually I've been getting to know one of the crew members." She smiled, gesturing for Ravi to join her. "Ravi here has been wanting to talk to you. He's a big fan of yours."

Sinbad looked at the lanky teen and smiled generously. "Hello, Ravi. Would you like to pull up a seat and ask questions? Or we can just talk about whatever you're interested in."

"Sorry Nasha is an asshole," Ravi blurted.

Nasha stopped laughing and pursed his lips, unable to deny the allegation.

Sinbad laughed heartily as Thalia brought over a chair for Ravi.

"Before you two get too carried away, can I go ahead and borrow that book?" Thalia asked.

"Sure," Ravi replied. "It's in the chest at the foot of my bunk."

"What book?" Sinbad asked, leaning forward.

Thalia answered before Ravi could. "Just some boring autobiography."

Sinbad leaned back, apparently satisfied with her answer. Ravi looked at her curiously before apprehension dawned on his face. His gaze oscillated back and forth between Thalia and Sinbad until it settled on her.

Thalia's eyebrows knitted at his strange reaction, but she said nothing. So long as he kept her secret, she wouldn't pry into what was going on in his head.

Thalia dug the book out of his trunk, burying her nose in it. She hadn't realized before how little she'd known about her friend— that his father had been killed in one of Parthevia's endless wars, that his mother had died of illness while he captured the famed first dungeon. She wiped a few tears from her eyes after reading those parts. It wasn't just that Sinbad was so important to her, though that was doubtless a huge part of it. He had a way with words that kept her enthralled with the story's twists and turns.

She couldn't put the book down, so she started carrying it around with her. Anxious about what her friends would think if they found out what she was reading, she was careful not to let anyone see the cover. She ignored Sinbad's increasingly grand attempts to get her attention, in favor of getting to know the part of him within the books pages that she'd never been allowed to see. He would still be around after she finished reading.

As she sat stuffing a snack of nuts in her mouth, engrossed by one of the tales within the pages, Sinbad's patience finally broke.

"You've been reading that book for three days straight," he groused.

She nodded in acknowledgement. Actually, she'd only been reading this one since yesterday . She'd finished the first book and was now on the second.

"What could possibly be more interesting than your friends?" He grabbed the book from her hands and held it out of her reach, a victorious expression written on his face.

She panicked. What if when he saw that she was reading the book he'd authored, he thought she was some kind of stalker?

"Give it back!" she fumed, futilely hopping to grab at the book. She cursed her short stature now more than ever.

The smile dropped from his face as he saw how furious he'd made her. "Your face is really red. What are you reading that you're so ashamed of? Smut?"

"Yes," she huffed. "Now give it back."

His eyes widened. He hadn't expected an answer like that.

"No way. Not you." He glanced at the pages, reading them aloud under his breath. "What the hell, Thalia? I wrote this. It's not smut."

She quoted a passage from a few pages earlier. "'The slumbering form of the queen of Artemyra was radiant in the moonlight, her breasts-'"

Now it was his turn to blush. "That was- the readers like that stuff, okay? But you… you're embarrassed because you were reading my book?"

He handed the bound pages back to her, and she clutched them protectively to her stomach.

"Don't get the wrong idea," she muttered, looking at the planks instead of his face. "You're a good writer."

He ruffled her hair affectionately. "I'm glad you think so. There's no need to be so shy about it."

She suddenly felt guilty for having been so afraid of his reaction to her reading his stories. Of course he wouldn't mind if she read them. He'd published them for the world to see. She didn't understand why she'd been so afraid of him finding out. Somehow the idea of him thinking she had an interest in him terrified her.

Because that was definitely not the case.

"Did you learn anything?" he asked.

"Hm?"

"You said there wasn't anything in modern novels you couldn't learn by stepping outside," he reminded her. "Did you learn anything?"

"Yeah," she smiled at him, the weight of his tragic life now coloring the way she saw him. "I learned a lot."


	15. Balbadd City

A/N: I'm going through and making a lot of edits. I'm realizing some character developments and thoughts should have occurred to Thalia a lot sooner and that her characterization sometimes changed depending on when it was convenient to the plot, my understanding of some of the characters has changed a little, and hopefully the sequence of events will now seem a bit more logical. Until I get through, though, there might be some repetitive developments and I apologize. This is my first time working on something this long, I'm learning constantly how to improve my writing, and it _is_ a work in progress.

* * *

 **Balbadd City**

* * *

The captain's fears of angered gods and internal strife caused by Thalia's presence aboard his ship never came to fruition. When they docked safely in Balbadd, Thalia disembarked with her head held high, having been vindicated. The sea god was just another Attican myth. Her presence on the boat couldn't anger something that didn't exist.

Thalia's memories of the kingdom of Balbadd were vague; she remembered the buildings made of golden-hued bricks, but she'd forgotten just how big it was. Thankfully, King Rashid had sent a guard to meet them at the port and escort them through the city. Where the streets of Reim were well-kept and modern, Balbadd had an ancient feel to it. The worn stone streets were uneven, the architecture crude and eroded in many places. It seemed to Thalia that Balbadd must have existed since the beginning of time.

The palace was no exception— at least, not on the outside. Passing through the doors was like entering an entirely different world, one lavishly decorated with creams, golds, and rich purples. Elaborately designed furniture and trinkets sat on display, as if to impress upon visitors the extravagant wealth of the owner. Thalia had long forgotten that such a lifestyle was supposed to be normal for people of her station. Struggling to keep her mouth from falling open, Thalia kept a straight face. As a princess, none of this should have impressed her.

"Are we staying here?" she whispered to Sinbad as the guard continued to lead them through the towering halls. Her voice bounced off the walls, rendering her attempt at discretion ineffective.

"Only the best for my valuable employees." He gave her a friendly wink.

"King Rashid has been generous enough to prepare three rooms for us," Ja'far told her. "You were a last minute whim on the part of Sin, so, we weren't able to send word ahead that there would be four of us. Sin and I will be sharing a room, and you and Hinahoho will have the remaining two."

"What?" Sinbad objected, "I'm the head of this company. If anyone should get a room to themselves, it's me."

"I don't mind sharing a room with Ja'far." Thalia said without thinking. "Hinahoho will need a full bed to himself, and you want a room to yourself…"

"No."

"No."

Sinbad and Ja'far shot down her idea at the same time.

"Thalia can stay with me." Sinbad decided, draping a protective arm over her shoulders.

"Thalia is a princess who has a reputation to protect." Ja'far protested. "How will it look if she sleeps in the same room as 'The Lady Killer of the Seven Seas?'"

Thalia struggled to see the problem. "I really don't mind. We slept in the same room on the way here, anyways. I'd trust any of you guys. I know none of you would hurt me." They'd proven as much over the months she'd known them.

"Is she always this naive?" Ja'far threw a scornful look in her direction only to receive a warning glare from Sinbad.

"If I may interject…" Hinahoho inserted himself forcefully into the conversation. "Thalia, Ja'far is right. You shouldn't be sharing a room with any of us. It doesn't matter what actually goes on in the room; it matters what people think is going on in the room. As a princess and a delegate representing the Sindria Trading Company, you have a responsibility to refrain from any actions that will reflect poorly on yourself or the company."

Thalia grew quiet. Hinahoho was right. So far, she had managed to keep what had happened to her at Ria Venus Island quiet, but if rumors started about her and Sinbad, all that would have been for nothing.

Apparently, Thalia wasn't the only one Hinahoho had persuaded. Sinbad let out a resigned sigh, removing his arm from her shoulders.

"Ja'far can stay with me."

The guard cleared her throat, and Thalia realized they had stopped walking a while ago. "Are you ready to go in?"

"Yes, of course. Our apologies." Ja'far gave the guard a sheepish grin.

The delegation proceeded with Sinbad in front, followed by Hinahoho and Ja'far, and Thalia bringing up the rear as the lowest ranking member. To avoid drawing attention to herself, she bowed to King Rashid as though she were a commoner, flaring her skirts out to the sides before kneeling. She wasn't here to make a scene.

Sinbad completed the speech he'd prepared to thank King Rashid for his support of company and its move to Balbadd. There was a long silence afterward, and Thalia shrank in on herself, wondering if they had somehow offended King Rashid. The others tensed as well.

At last, the king spoke. "There is no need for such formality. Just speak to me as you always have. Welcome back Sinbad. It's good to see you again." His gaze turned to Thalia. He seemed to be measuring her up. "I've seen your other friends before, but not this one. Is this a new companion? She handles herself as though she's been in court before."

Having been acknowledged, Thalia had no choice but to answer. She rose, leaving her head bowed and her hands raised, manners that had been drilled into her since childhood.

"Your Majesty is observant. My name is Princess Thalia Alexandris, daughter of the late king and queen Hypatos and Simay Alexandris of the subjugated kingdom of Attica. I appear before you today as a humble servant of the Sindria company."

"Ah," King Rashid relaxed back in his chair. "Little Thalia. You were quite small the last time we met. You wouldn't remember me. I wish to express my deepest sympathies for your losses."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Now that she had revealed her status, she remained standing as would be proper for a princess. To lower herself again would be to accept acknowledge Parthevia's invasion as legitimate. She was the true heir to the throne, not the Parthevian Royal Family.

King Rashid turned his attention back to Sinbad. "The first time we met, you were unbelievably rash. You have so much courage, it could be called recklessness. I'm not sure whether that's admirable or shocking."

Sinbad scratched his chin sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I throw myself into the things I want to do wholeheartedly and then they turn out like this."

"That's for sure," Ja'far grumbled. "Please try putting yourself in the position of those around you for once."

Sinbad and Ja'far began a heated whispered exchange. Thalia cleared her throat to signal they were behaving inappropriately, and the two boys immediately ceased their squabble.

Turning his attention back to King Rashid, Sinbad spoke, his voice subdued. "Actually, in becoming a slave, I realized something. The world is full of so many unreasonable things besides war. I'm glad I was able to discover that for myself. I learned that seemingly kind people are capable of terrible things, and that there are thousands of people out there like those children, people helpless to change their own situations." He then unclasped his hands, forming a resolute fist. The next time he spoke, his voice was forceful and confident. "For the sake of people like them, I'm more determined than ever to build a country. Now that I have the resources, the time has come. I'm ready to fulfill my destiny."

Thalia's heart was stirred by the power in his voice, a fervent passion igniting in her veins. Yes, Sinbad's resolve could make anything possible, even his ridiculous dream, and she was here, helping to make it happened. She didn't have to choose between her destiny and his. She could help him now, take her time. She was only sixteen. She could put off finding a husband for a couple of years and focus on helping Sinbad. There wasn't much she could do for her country right now anyway.

"I see." King Rashid's grip tightened around his scepter. "I have no problem with you building a country, but I do have one question to ask. What are you planning to do about land?"

Sinbad didn't answer at first and Thalia stared in disbelief. How did he not have an answer ready? Hadn't he thought about this before? Had he really never even considered—?

"I don't suppose you could let me have a small corner of Balbadd?"

"No."

He really hadn't thought this through, had he?

King Rashid spoke. "A country's foundation is its land. It's both your assets and your resources. However, most land in the world already belongs to one country or another. Historically, the only way to expand a country's territory has been to conquer and invade another country, and by doing so, it just promotes even more war. Isn't that right, Thalia?"

Thalia nodded solemnly. She could not allow Parthevia continue its unjust reign over her people, even if it meant risking the lives of herself and countless soldiers. "You are correct, Your Majesty."

He tilted his head in acknowledgement of her answer before pointing at the sword and necklace Sinbad had placed on the floor beside him. "But you have those, your metal vessels. This power of yours surpasses human knowledge, and should you use it, it wouldn't be difficult for you to destroy a country in a single night."

Thalia drew in a sharp breath. She'd seen Sinbad use his metal vessels once, creating a shimmering snowfall for his performance. They had been gentle and beautiful, fluttering around like weightless crystalline shards. She'd been in awe at the time, believing that this was the power of his metal vessels— to bring beauty into the world. What King Rashid was describing was a weapon of mass destruction. Could something capable of creating such beauty also be capable of such devastation?

"I need one!" she blurted without thinking. Quickly, she covered her mouth, wishing she could stuff the words back inside. The outburst had been inappropriate, and now all eyes were on her.

King Rashid's lips pulled into a thin line. "Princess, dungeons are dangerous places filled with perils that have killed the strongest of men. It is not a place to enter lightly."

Thalia lowered her head further, heat flooding her face. Of course, the idea of someone like her fighting was ridiculous.

"You seem pretty interested. Do you like swords?"

She was an Attican woman of nobility. Her role was to stay in her corner of her house— not to covet the world of men...

"I bet with some practice, you would be just as good as I am. Would you like to touch it?"

… the world of peasants…

"Come to the palace sometime. I can order everyone away. No one has to know."

… the world of barbarians…

"That's it. Go ahead and unsheathe it."

If she tried to step too far outside that role, bad things happened. Bad things always happened.

"She'll bring a curse upon this entire nation!"

"Forgive me, Your Majesty. I spoke rashly."

King Rashid tilted his head and let out a small noise of agreement before returning his attention to Sinbad. "As I was saying, it would be awfully hypocritical of you to found your country through conflict when you dream of creating a country to end conflicts. So, what will you do, Sinbad? How will you create your own country?"

Thalia waited for Sinbad's response, shoving her memories and her shame back into the locked box inside her chest. Things would be okay because Sinbad had an answer. He always had an answer.

Except this time he didn't. Was his dream of a world without suffering and conflict really impossible?

"Don't look so scared. I'm merely interested in your answer. However…" The king remained rigidly in his seat. "Let me give you some good news as an apology. South of Reim is a land commonly known as "The Dark Continent. It's a place that's widely considered to be savage and untouched."

Hinahoho spoke up for the first time. "The Dark Continent?"

"That's right. It's a vast amount of land that belongs to no country. I can't guarantee it's the kind of place you're looking for, but it may be worth taking a look at."

Thalia let out a deep breath. Yes, of course: the Dark Continent. Growing up, she had seen it on maps, a vast swath of land few dared to explore. Parts of it were barren, other parts lush and thick with jungle. It was home to Heliohapt, a civilization that her country had lost contact with centuries ago, but from which much of their medical knowledge was derived.

King Rashid continued. "Don't forget, Sinbad. Creating a new society will not be so simple, and creating a new country won't be any easier."

"About that…" Sinbad responded hesitantly. "As my mentor…"

Sinbad stopped talking, distracted by something behind the curtain on his left. Suddenly, Thalia heard it too— the grumbling of a child.

"Shut up. I can't forgive having such a lowly thief in the palace! Mother said as the heir to the throne, I have to have the self-awareness of a king."

Thalia let out a dismayed squeak as Sinbad rose— in the presence of a king— and marched over to the curtain. He'd asked her to help them navigate court, but she couldn't fix this breach of manners with all the experience in the world. He should have known better than to act on his own.

Pulling back the drapes, he demanded, "Quit your complaining. You're being loud. Who are you two anyway?"

The two boys that had been hiding began to scamper in circles, the short one shouting about being killed by a lowly commoner. Thalia struggled to keep her composure as Sinbad further breached decorum, picking up what she could only presume were the royal children by their clothes.

King Rashid sighed, holding his head as though he had a headache. "You two… I thought I told you to stay out of here. Hurry up and go."

"Hmm?" Sinbad held the squirming children up higher. "What'd you say? Who are these brats."

Now he was using course language in front of a king!

Rushing to apologize for Sinbad's increasingly egregious blunders, Thalia cried, "Forgive him, Your Majesty. He doesn't know—"

King Rashid raised his hand to cut her off. "There is no need for apologies, Princess. I know your father was very strict, but my palace is run differently. You may feel at home here."

Grateful for the invitation to relax, Thalia lowered her hands and raised her head, just as Sinbad set the rambunctious children down on the steps leading to the raised platform on which King Rashid sat.

"As for these 'brats', they are my sons, Ahbmad and Sahbmad."

Thalia approached them and knelt down so that she was at eye level with the two boys. "Hello, Ahbmad, Sahbmad. Do you think those are nice things to say about this young man?" She gestured to Sinbad. "Why don't you apologize."

Ahbmad spoke while Sahbmad cowered behind him. "It's the truth! Why should I apologize?"

"Because—"

King Rashid cut Thalia off. "I'm afraid those two are beyond reasoning with. It's best to just let them go."

Thalia suspected that with a stern but gentle hand, they could be reigned in— she had yet to meet a child who was truly bad. Still, it was not her place to get involved in another family's affairs.

She took a step back, "Of course, King Rashid."

"So wait," Sinbad said, pinching Ahbmad's plump belly. "If these are your sons, how come they look nothing like you?"

"Please don't torture the child." Thalia shot her friend a stern look.

"I'm not!"

Ahbmad stomped his foot. "That's right! This is torture! This thief is torturing me! You insolent thief, I'm going to have you thrown out of the palace immediately!"

"I like to see you try," Sinbad scowled. "I'm here on official business with the king, and I haven't done anything wrong."

Thalia coughed. "Actually you have several offenses."

"You can't treat me like this!" Ahbmad shouted one last time. "I'm going to tell mother!"

With that the two boys finally scampered out of the room, taking their chaos with them.

King Rashid cleared his throat, casting his eyes to the ground. "I'm afraid this happens all the time, although it's quite embarrassing. Maybe it's because I left their education to their mother, but somehow they turned into little hooligans. It's fine as long as I remain on the throne, but it hurts my head just thinking about one day leaving this country in the hands of my sons." Burying his face in his hands, he let out a large sigh. "Even I have to put my all into maintaining this country. Nobody's perfect."

Lifting his head again, he continued. "No country is perfect either. You understand that, right, Sinbad? Your homeland is a good example…"

"Has something happened in Parthevia?"

"Parthevia has agreed to sign a cease-fire treaty with Reim."

Thalia scowled, remembering Nerva's fake lamentations about the tragic fate of her family. They seemed especially empty now that she knew his father had agreed to a truce with the country at fault.

King Rashid turned his attention once again to Thalia. "I apologize, Princess. I understand Parthevia's affairs must be a painful subject for you."

Thalia accepted his apology gracefully, bowing her head and raising her clasped hands in front of her heart. "It's nothing I can't handle, Your Majesty."

Rashid continued, "The previous emperor passed away and the princess went missing. The current emperor is too young. It seems all domestic affairs have been put in the hands of the General of the Royal Guard—"

General Barbarossa. It had to be him.

Her fingernails began to dig in to her palms. That injust mad had helped slaughter her family and was rewarded with more power than anyone of his position should have been allowed. It was disgusting.

"Thalia," Ja'far hissed. "Are you alright? You look… scary."

"Oh," She focused on relaxing her posture and schooling her face into a serene expression. "I'm fine."

She was fine. She had to be. She had to keep herself together or else everything could fall apart. Her grudge against Serendine couldn't get out. Thalia hadn't seen much of Serendine at the company, but someone as charismatic as her could weasel her way out of anything. After all, for years, Serendine had played Thalia like a fool, luring her in, making her think Serendine cared.

"—I think it would be a good idea to think about what you want to do, and why you want to build your own country."

When Sinbad failed to respond, Hinahoho spoke up. "Thank you, King Rashid. We will take your advice into deep consideration."

That night, the streets of Balbadd were noisy and boisterous, but Sinbad was silent. It was all Thalia could hear. She hadn't listened to part of King Rashid's speech, but surely whatever he'd said hadn't been that bad. So why was it they were back to the way things had been after he'd gotten out of the punishment room?

No, things were worse. He'd locked himself away in his room for dinner. Ja'far and Hinahoho had assured her he was fine, that he was just thinking things over, but Thalia was afraid. She was afraid of losing him again, that he wouldn't bounce back this time. So, she stood outside his door, with her hand raised to knock. He might be mad that she wasn't giving him space, but—

Before she had a chance to move, the door opened. She and Sinbad stood there for a moment, neither one speaking. Thalia was too stunned, and judging by the expression on his face, he was too. His eyes locked on her hand, still raised in the air, and he cracked a subdued smile.

"I was thinking about going for a walk. Would you like to come?"

Thalia nodded rigidly, relief flooding her. He was talking again. She wasn't losing him.

Gently, he wrapped her hand around her still raised fist and guided it back to her side.

After gathering the others, the four of them wandered through the city, exploring. They walked until rows of mansions gave way to shanties. In this new area, dirty children in rags began crowd around them, offering flowers.

"Don't accept them," Ja'far advised Thalia. "They'll expect payment."

Thalia stopped walking and accepted a flower, offering a generous sum in exchange. Ja'far watched this transaction with horror.

"You can't just do that," he groaned. "Once they think you have money, they won't leave you alone."

"It's fine, isn't it?" Thalia responded, accepting another flower, this time from a little girl.

"What are you going to do, try to save everyone here?" Ja'far challenged, looking at her small coin purse.

She looked into the big brown eyes of one of the children, her heart breaking. He was so thin. How often did he go hungry? "How am I supposed to say no?" she asked.

""I know you want to help," Hinahoho sighed, "but Balbadd needs to sort out its own problems."

Thalia looked at the scene around her: a mother huddling with her baby, people so ill they couldn't sit upright. She wanted to ask how many people had to die waiting for the needed reforms to happen, but kept her mouth shut, putting her coin purse away. The children wailed, desperately clinging to her skirts, begging her to buy their flowers. She channeled every ounce of meanness she could muster into a single stern look, sending the children backing away obediently.

"Yeah," Ja'far muttered his agreement with Hinahoho as a pair of younger children climbed around in the garbage heap towering above him "But this place is…"

"The slums, huh?" Hinahoho mused. "I guess it's like King Rashid said. Building and maintaining a country won't be easy."

"Sinbad can do it," Thalia asserted, joining her best friend at his side. Her eyes drifted down to his fist clenched so tightly, his knuckles had turned white, and she could tell. She could tell that seeing people in this condition made him as angry as any of them. "You can," she repeated in a whisper. "If anyone can it's you."

He can certainly do a better job than this. She left that thought unsaid. King Rashid had said he was doing his best, but Thalia was beginning to wonder. Was he really doing anything to address this? If he was failing so many people this badly, was it really okay to leave him on the throne?

"You're right," Sinbad told her. When he turned around, he flashed a soft smile at their other two friends. "I've decided. We're going to the dark continent."

Thalia took his fist and gently pried it open. Neither of them could save these people now, but the future was bright. Someday they would both be able to make a difference.

"Should we go back?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah." He turned his smile to her. "Let's go."

Back at the palace, they settled down in their rooms, three suites right next to one another. Thalia lay on her back, supported by a soft mattress and plush pillows, staring up at the ornate ceiling. How long had it been since Thalia had a room to herself? Not since Attica, when she'd been a stupid, naive princess who thought she could run away from her problems.

If she'd been a good child, if she hadn't run away, she would be like the rest of her family— dead. Or maybe not. Maybe she would have married Nerva and it would have saved everyone— her family, her country. If she hadn't run away, maybe things would have been different. Her family's blood was on her hands. She shouldn't be here. She shouldn't be alive.

No, she didn't really believe that.

The fall of Attica wasn't completely her fault, was it? None of this would have happened if it weren't for Parthevia's avaricious appetite to consume everything within its ever-widening path. Parthevia, the same country that had taken Sinbad's father from him, was to blame. Moreover, she knew exactly who within that country was responsible, didn't she? That General Barbarossa man and Serendine, the girl who had the audacity to smile in Thalia's direction whenever they passed each other in the hallways of the company.

Something stirred within her- something so hot it sent chills down her spine, so powerful it strained her breathing. It was the same thing she had experienced earlier that day in the throne room: rage.


	16. History Lesson

**History Lesson**

* * *

It seemed strange, traveling an entire week only to spend one night in their destination, but Sinbad was a busy man, and they couldn't afford a prolonged visit. In the morning, Sinbad discussed the headquarters' relocation with an official, who introduced him to a contractor. He spent the rest of the morning hashing out details for what appeared to Thalia to be a needlessly extravagant warehouse. In the afternoon, King Rashid bid them farewell, and they boarded the ship.

The others were so wrapped up in excited chatter about the dark continent that they hadn't noticed Thalia was lagging behind, dragging her bag. Yesterday's revelation about the state of Parthevia had shaken her, and not in the usual way. She had stayed up last night, pacing back and forth, stewing in resentment until the crack of dawn. Someone like Barbarossa should not be in power. He deserved to die for his role in destroying her life.

The moment Thalia's feet hit the hard planks of the ship, an unfamiliar hand grabbed her, dragging her away from her distracted friends. Thalia violently jerked away, stumbling several steps backward. When she looked up, she realized the culprit was Nasha, the red-haired sailor who had mocked her the first day on the ship.

"What do you think you're doing?" she growled, hugging herself protectively. "You can't just touch people without permission like that."

Nasha ignored her, striding toward her to make up for the distance she'd put between them. "Did something happen to you? You look more world-weary than yesterday morning."

Thalia brought her hands to her face, trying to feel whatever he was seeing. "Do I? It's probably just a lack of sleep."

"No, that's not it," he folded his arms over his chest. "Trust me. I'm good at reading people."

Thalia glanced in the direction of the others, still wrapped up in their conversation. Around them, she had to pretend everything was normal, but Nasha wasn't her friend. She didn't even particularly like him. She was too tired to play nice with him if she didn't have to. She decided not to try to spare him from her foul mood.

"I see one flaw in your argument. If you're as good at reading people as you say you are, then you already know I'm not in the mood to talk. So, either you're wilfully annoying me or you're a liar."

Nasha whistled, looking her up and down. "Something definitely happened."

She lifted her chin defiantly, willing him to look away. His only response was a disinterested stare that spiked her heart-rate. Thalia continued their stare-down, refusing to let him know she was intimidated. It worked until Thalia's eyes began to sting and water. When she surrendered, blinking and wiping her eyes, Nasha let out a sharp laugh.

Thalia was relieved when she heard Sinbad call out her name, giving her an excuse to escape.

"Coming!" she shouted cheerfully.

"Oh, sure! You'll put on a cheery act for him!"

Thalia ignored Nasha's complaint, bounding over to Sinbad's side. Of course she would put on a cheery act for him. He was her friend. She needed him to like her, to not ask questions. If her bitter mood persisted, she would have to put all her energy into acting for the next seven days.

Sinbad affectionately ruffled her hair, and she leaned into his hand, much like a pleased cat.

"There you are." He let out a relieved sigh. "I thought you wandered off somewhere."

Faking lighthearted laughter, she placed a reassuring hand on her friend's arm. "Thanks for worrying about me. I'm right here."

In the corner of her eye, she caught Nasha glowering in their direction. What was with him today? He'd ignored her most of the trip here, and suddenly he was watching her like some jilted suitor.

At dinner that night, Thalia sat quietly between Sinbad and Hinahoho, picking at her salted meat and potatoes idly as she replayed fantasies of Barbarossa being brutally murdered with a sword. Occasionally, she tuned back in to the conversation long enough to make thee others think she was engaged. She didn't want anyone to ask questions. She didn't want to talk about it. She doubted they would understand. They were so bright and optimistic. What did they know about revenge?

She glanced across the table to Nasha, who was once again watching her. When their eyes met, his lips pulled up into an obnoxiously confident smirk. She frowned in response before leaping to answer a question Ja'far had lobbed her way, finishing off her graceful social maneuver with a bright laugh. She dared to glance back at Nasha, who rolled his eyes.

As they stood up, cleaning up their places, Nasha leaned in from behind her, whispering in her ear, "Meet me below deck, in the hold."

Sinbad's face twisted into a scowl as Nasha pulled away. The two boys exchanged glances before Nasha slinked off into the dark.

"What was that?" Sinbad asked.

"I have no idea." Thalia shrugged. Nasha was crazy if he thought she was going out of her way to meet him anywhere, much less in private. She doubted she'd even allow herself to be alone with non-threatening Ravi.

Two days later, after Sinbad and the others had gone to sleep, Thalia climbed out of bed and padded out of the room, seeking a private corner of the ship where she could drink in the moonlight. She wandered past the night crew, some of whom she'd gotten to know over the course of their voyage. Unlike the first night, she felt safe enough in their presence to at least go about her daily life. She settled in a quiet corner of the ship, reclining against a crate and fishing an apple from a nearby sack. If she couldn't sleep properly, the least she could do was get some fresh air.

"You didn't come." Nasha's voice came from a dark figure, clunking with heavy boots toward her. "You're smarter than I thought."

Thalia sat up, spitting a bite of the apple out. "Nasha?"

"Relax. I'm not here to hurt you." He was now close enough that she could make out the details of his figure, his broad shoulders, his sharp eyes, and his red hair. Squatting next to her, he took the apple from her hands and bit into it. When he finished chewing, he sighed. "I just wanted to talk to you one on one."

Thalia sat up, narrowing her eyes. She didn't trust Nasha. She had no reason to.

"Why?"

He ran his fingers through his hair, and suddenly he looked less scary. He almost seemed docile.

"You've got the wrong idea about me." He sighed. "Yeah, I'm a liar. So are you. That performance the other night was pretty impressive, but you can't fool me. I told you, I'm good at reading people."

Thalia snagged another apple from the bag to replace her stolen one and issued him a sharp glare. "What's your point, exactly?"

"You don't trust your friends, do you? You're afraid they wouldn't accept the real you." Nasha tossed his stolen apple overboard and leaned forward, taking her hand in his. He was too close to Thalia for comfort, and when he spoke, she could feel his breath on her skin. "I already see you. The real you— the one with murder in her eyes."

She flinched, reclaiming her hand and shoving him back. How did he know all that? What had given her away?

"My friends would accept me with blood stained hands," she announced more confidently than she felt.

"Yes, they would, wouldn't they?" Nasha sat down next to her, so close their shoulders were touching. "That's what makes them such hypocrites. No, what you're afraid of is opening up to them, letting them know your true feelings— the dark ones, the ones that might make them doubt you. The catch is that the more you lie, the more they're going to hate you, and it won't be because you killed or stole. That would be forgivable for them. It will be because you deceived them. Ravi told me that boss of yours hates manipulative people." He pointed to her forehead. "Thalia, that's you."

"I'm not like you," Thalia responded evenly, scooting away from Nasha. "I don't hurt people. I protect myself."

"Think about how hurt your friends will be when they realize the girl they thought was so sweet and innocent is a cold-hearted killer deep down."

Thalia scoffed. Suddenly, she understood what was happening. Nasha was doing this intentionally, making her doubt herself. When she stood, she was the one towering over him for once.

"You thought you could mess with my head? Tear a rift between me and my friends? I see you too, Nasha. What do you want with me? Are you a spy from another company?"

Nasha's surprised laughter broke the tension around them.

"No. I'm not working for anyone but myself. Sit back down. I promise I'll stop being so pushy." He held his hand out to her.

"Is a promise from you good for anything?"

"This time it is."

Thalia refused to accept his hand, but sat down anyway. She was genuinely curious about his explanation and she got the feeling he really did mean to keep his promise.

"Alright, I'll be honest." He rested his head on the box she'd been reclining against earlier. "I want to sleep with you, and your friends are annoyingly protective, especially that Sinbad guy."

That was it? No espionage, no intrigue?

"That's really… immature." She attempted to massage the wrinkles out of her forehead, certain the stupidity behind his motive had aged her several years.

"You caught me." Nasha shrugged. "I won't try to mess with you again, but if you ever need someone to be yourself around, come find me. And, you know, if you ever want a good time..."

"I might take you up on that first offer," Thalia agreed, "but that second one is never going to happen."

He gave her a knowing smile.

"We'll see."

Over the remainder of the trip, Thalia spent most of her time around her old friends, but she did occasionally seek out Nasha to release the bitterness that dwelled within her. He was utterly repellant, but that was a comfort, in some ways. She didn't care if he hated her. She could hurl abuses at him until she felt purged, and he would sit back and take them, completely unfazed.

They only docked at the company for a couple of weeks, long enough to plan the journey to the Dark Continent and procure any necessary supplies. Thalia hadn't been expecting to come on this trip, but when she received another last minute invitation, she readily accepted.

Captain Reis' ship was once again escorting them. Apparently, the captain had lowered his rates after gauging them last time. Despite the strange friendship she'd begun to form with Nasha, he didn't look happy to see her when she boarded.

"What the hell are you doing here? We're going to the Dark Continent. What's your boss thinking, bringing you someplace like that?" he grumbled. "That guy is insane."

"I don't understand it either, but I'll be fine," she reassured him. "My friends are all really dependable. Especially Sin. He'd never let anything happen to me."

"You have too much faith in him," Nasha reprimanded her. "I know guys like him. He's going to use you and throw you away."

Thalia twitched with irritation. "I would more expect that from you, Nasha."

"Yeah, but everyone knows I'm an asshole. They have no one to blame but themselves if they trust me. He goes around acting like such a good guy. It makes me sick."

She sighed, rubbing her temples. Maybe she'd been wrong to try to befriend this jerk.

"Anyway," Nasha said, changing the subject. "guess who got a promotion."

Thalia assumed he was referring to himself, but considering he was slacking off every time she saw him, she wondered how exactly he got picked over his hard-working peers.

"Huh?" He leaned toward her. "What's with that face. You don't believe me?"

"No, I believe you," she reluctantly admitted.

"I'm the boatswain. That means I'm the boss of all these scallywags." He gestured to his co-workers, grinning confidently. "Basically, I'm the third most powerful guy on this ship, so if you like men who are in control…" He trailed off as a shadow fell across them, the grin fleeing from his face instantly.

"Is this guy bothering you, Princess?" Thalia looked up to find Drakon standing behind her, a stern look on his face.

"No more than a gnat," she responded dismissively.

"What the fuck is that?" Nasha asked, the color draining from his face.

"Who. Not 'what'," she corrected him. "This is my friend, Drakon. Drakon, this is Nasha, the boatswain."

Drakon continued to glare down at Nasha.

"A giant and a dragon," Nasha muttered. "How's a guy supposed to approach you when your friends are all scary."

"They're not supposed to approach me at all," she winked, "and that's the way I like it."

Drakon bowed politely.

"If you need anything, please let me know, Princess." He left to join the others in preparing the ship for take off. Speaking of which…

"Shouldn't you be busy, Mr. Boatswain?"

"Technically," Nasha shrugged as if shirking his duties were no big deal— which, to him, it probably wasn't. "One question before I go though. Why does that guy call you 'princess'?"

Thalia wasn't sure if she wanted to reveal her identity to someone as self-serving as Nasha, but she hadn't been keeping it a secret so far.

"What would you do if I told you I was one?"

Nasha crumpled over with laughter.

"There's no way. You let your boss drag you around like arm candy."

"Sin doesn't—"

"What in your job description says you have to go to a dangerous continent? How would your presence benefit the mission in any way? You know you don't belong on this ship. You can't stand up to that guy, much less lead a country. You'd raze it to the ground with your naivety."

Thalia stiffened, his words cutting like a sword.

He continued, "You said you manage the children back at the company? You're a babysitter, not a manager. Your boss doesn't even trust you with real employees. He looks down on you, but you're too damn nice to acknowledge it."

"Shut up, Nasha."

"I'm just telling the truth. Sorry if it offends you."

She forced out a laugh.

"Of course it was a joke. How could a princess have a job? You're the one that decided to get all serious."

"It needed to be said. I'm just looking out for you."

Thalia sharply pivoted and marched away, making her displeasure apparent. He thought she was some kind of starry-eyed ditz? That she hadn't earned her position on this ship with her own talents? Sinbad had a reason for bringing her. She wasn't useless. She wasn't.

Spotting Sinbad and Mystras hunched over tying some ropes, she approached her friend and tapped his shoulder.

"Thalia, what's up?" Sinbad greeted her.

"Hey, Thalia." Mystras gave her a small wave.

"How can I help?" she asked, hands clasped behind her back.

Sinbad briefly pulled a hand away from what he was doing to ruffle her hair.

"There's no need. We've got it under control."

Nasha's rant from earlier echoed loudly in her head.

"Then why am I even here?"

Sinbad frowned.

"Because you agreed to come."

She tried asking again, this time angling her question differently.

"Why did you invite me?"

He looked to Mystras for help, but the knight shook his head frantically. Sinbad scowled at him briefly before answering her.

"Why did I invite you? You're an asset to the company."

"A huge asset," Mystras agreed, nodding exaggeratedly.

She rephrased her question once again.

"How am I essential to this mission?"

"Did you not want to come?" Mystras asked.

"No, that's not…"

"Are you afraid we won't be able to protect you?" It was Sinbad's question this time.

"Of course not."

"Then what's the problem?" Mystras reassured her. "How often do you get to go on adventures like this?"

Thalia touched her fingers to her forehead, furrowing her eyebrows. They hadn't quite answered her question, but maybe Mystras was right. Maybe she was overthinking things.

"Just have a seat somewhere," Sinbad guiding her away. "We'll come keep you company in a little while."

Thalia did as her friend instructed, sitting down at the table where the men often played cards, but their conversation had done little to put her at ease. Was she too nice? Too naive? Just now, Sinbad and Mystras, had definitely dodged her question. Had she really become nothing more than arm candy?

Shaking her head, she gripped the edge of the table firmly. Nasha was a jerk, and like he'd said, if anyone trusted him, they had no one but themselves to blame. Sinbad could keep his secrets. What did she care?

Except she did care. Nasha's words about her ineptitude had planted the seeds of doubt in her head. If she couldn't maintain an even footing with her own friends, how would she negotiate with the leaders of her army? Would she submit to Nerva if he bombarded her with too many questions, like Sinbad and Mystras had just now? Could someone like her really bring her war-torn country back from ruin?

She sighed, pulling on her hair in frustration. In Attica, they would tell her not to worry. These were matters for men to think about and for men to handle. Thalia had no place pondering them, but she also had no man to do these things for her, at least not right now. It wasn't like a wealthy and powerful husband was going to just fall in her lap. She had to handle things on her own, at least until she found a king, and she didn't want to do that. She didn't want the responsibilities that came with being a wife.

"Hey." Mystras sat in the chair next to her, leaning on his elbow. "What's with that gloomy look?"

"Hypothetically, let's say I managed to raise an army to take Attica back," Thalia began. "Do you think I would run it to the ground?"

"I think we both have a lot of studying to do before we're ready to rule anything," Sinbad answered carefully, placing himself at her other side. "Even then, we'll have to make mistakes and learn from them."

"How can I afford to make mistakes when so many people are counting on me?"

"It's not realistic to think you can be perfect," Sinbad assured her, but it was too late. She huddled over, clenching her roiling stomach. She'd already made so many mistakes, and others were suffering for it. She was a horrible, horrible person— worse than Nasha. Her failures had consequences beyond mildly annoying people. They had cost lives.

Mystras rushed to comfort her. "Just because you were born into a role doesn't mean you have to live up to it. Look at me. I used to be next in line for the throne, but I left my country for freedom. Ruling just wasn't for me."

She stared at him incredulously. Did he seriously just tell her she could throw away her responsibilities to her people? His situation was nothing like hers. He had brothers, for one.

"No one can take my place," she explained. "I was Father's only legitimate child. What can I do, leave my people to Parthevia so that they can be treated like second class citizens? I've heard what Parthevia does— work its conquered peoples like slaves, beat them if they can't keep up… How can I allow that to go on?"

Someone cleared his throat behind them.

"Thalia?" Ravi asked, "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. I think I have something that might help you find an answer to your problem. Do you mind coming with me?"

Thalia eyed him warily. He was barely taller than her, but she'd seen him hoist those heavy sails. He was a threat.

"That depends. Where are we going?"

"It's just in my trunk next to my bed."

Thalia nodded, following him into the crew's quarters and leaving the door open behind them.

"While we were at port, I found this book I thought you might like." he said, digging around in his trunk. "I remembered you said you enjoy history, so I bought it for you."

He pulled out a thick leather bound tome and handed it to her. Thalia's paranoia had been unfounded. Maybe the world was filled with Marcuses, but living on edge was exhausting. Perhaps it was time for her to let her guard down a little.

Holding up the book, Thalia read the cover aloud. "Governments Ancient and Modern."

"I've skimmed it a little, and, well… it's a little dense for me, to be honest, but I think it will help you find a solution." Ravi scratched his curly hair sheepishly. "Not everything is about birth and titles. Reim, for example, has an emperor, but he has a senate of elected officials that he delegates power to. Before the imperial system, these representatives were the ones with all the power, and they ran what was called a republic. None of them were born into their positions. They had to earn it through elections."

"Thank you, Ravi," Thalia said warmly. As he spoke, everything he told her sounded familiar. She'd learned it long ago during her lessons in the palace, and then again under Rurumu's tutelage. It still had never occurred to her to question her own place within her country's government, or even the government itself.

She supposed it was time for a review.

Since the countries were listed alphabetically, Attica's entry was fairly early on. She scanned the entry out of curiosity. She knew everything about Attica, having had it drilled into her growing up. The book discussed the country's history all the way back to before it had been an empire.

"Attica is, much like the Kouga clan, the remains of a once great Empire. At its peak, they even traded with Heliohapt and as far away as what is now the Kou empire. Heliohapt influence can still be seen in their medicines, particularly a concoction called me-rosh, made from a bright red flower, which in small doses relieves pain and and depression, and, in larger doses, induces sleep or even death. Their former territories and settlements have been claimed by Parthevia and Riem."

Thalia skimmed through this part. The information was all so deeply embedded, she could have written the passage herself.

"Though Attica is now ruled by a king, this was not always the case. Much of the land it held as an empire was claimed during its time as a 'democracy.' Under this system, all adult male citizens voted directly on legislation. The 'democracy' was overthrown by Perseus Alexandris, who insisted an Imperial Monarchy would provide much needed efficiency over the older system. This new monarchical system worked for several generations. However, after reaching its peak under Thyestes Alexandris, the monarchy has steadily been losing territory and only retains its original holdings thanks to the skillful political maneuverings of its monarchs."

Thalia sighed. She hadn't found anything new. The democratic system had been inefficient, requiring a majority vote for any changes to pass. Getting that many men to agree with each other took time, and in the modern world, with metal vessels and magi interfering with politics, the flexibility afforded to a wise monarch was needed more than ever.

She turned to Parthevia's entry.

"While the current Parthevian king is the 31st in the country's history, the dynasty itself is relatively new, dating back only 150 years. After a period of stagnation and corruption in courtly affairs, the previous dynasty was overthrown by Arsaces I, a chieftain of a local tribe who claimed to be descended from one of Parthevia's ancient hero-kings, but who, in all actuality, likely was not of the traditional nobility at all. This part of the history has been suppressed within Parthevia, but we know from other countries' records at the time that this was the case."

Thalia perked up at this. There was precedence of a commoner taking a throne. She would have to show Sinbad later, as she suspected he might find the news encouraging. Still, so far there had been nothing that helped her. She continued to page through the book for days on end.

A pattern began to emerge. Dynasties rose. Dynasties became bloated. Dynasties stagnated. Dynasties were replaced, in some cases by wise peasants, in other cases by powerful rivals.

Ravi was right. Blood could only sustain a dynasty for so long, until the family's power dwindled. When she took Attica back, she would have to breathe fresh life into it somehow. She would have to break the cycle of collapse.

She needed the right allies, the right people to support her. Storming out of the cabin, she went looking for her friend.

"Sinbad!" she called, the briny sea wind whipping her hair around her face. Thalia didn't know if the roaring in her ears was the wind or her pounding heart.

Her friend turned to face her. "You finally put that book down. Did you find what you were looking for?"

She approached him, stumbling slightly as the boat heaved underneath her.

"It's been right in front of me this whole time. It's you, Sin. I need you."

He stepped back, his eyes growing wide. "Thalia, there are people watching…"

Humbling herself before him, she bowed, pleading, "Please lend me your strength. Let Attica join the Seven Seas Alliance."

Sinbad relaxed.

"Oh. That's what you meant." He leaned over, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Stand up. Of course you'll have our support. Did you think I would make you go through the process of rebuilding a country on your own?"

Thalia rose to face her ally.

"You are truly a friend of my people. Thank you."

"Land ho!" cried a scout from up in his lookout platform.

"It looks like you figured things out just in time, huh?" Ravi approached her.

"Your book helped a lot, but I still have a lot to do before I can rest easy."

"You'll figure everything out," Sinbad encouraged her. "Just give it time." He gave her a firm pat on the back, and she smiled genuinely for the first time in weeks.

"Of course."

Sinbad had been the answer. He was her strength.


	17. Cathargo Night

A/N: Ya'll, I am on the Hype Express train with all the reviews you sent me for the last chapter. Thank you so much! I feel like the next couple of chapters are going to be a rough ride for some of you. I think you'll see why. Send me all the hate mail you need to feel better.

* * *

 **Cathargo Night**

* * *

Sinbad watched Thalia closely as she wandered from stall to stall in the market at Cathargo, picking up trinkets and inspecting them. Did she see how she made heads turn? Did she hear the whispers, feel the stares? Behind him, a boy announced he was going to try to talk to her. Sinbad turned around and gave him a look that would have cowed the fiercest of men. Once the boy had scampered away, Sinbad returned to his original position, only to find his friend was laughing gaily as a man motioned animatedly, apparently telling some kind of joke.

What was she thinking, just talking to strangers like that? He set his jaw, ready to go drag her away. She would be angry, but surely that was better than let her continue to attract attention. She was just too pretty, too charming. The people of Cathargo never stood a chance.

"Sin!" Mystras's jubilant voice called for his attention. Sinbad looked up as the boy skidded to a halt by his side, pumping his fists excitedly. "I found the red light district! Let's go!"

Sinbad shook his head. "I can't leave Thalia. Look at her, she's about to get eaten alive out there." He gestured at his vulnerable friend who was picking up a necklace at another stall.

Mystras glanced over in her direction. "She looks fine to me. She's in a crowded area. No one's going to try anything. I know you like her—"

"I don't."

"You do. That's why you brought her. I helped you out when she started asking questions on the ship, but admit it, Sin; she's nothing but a liability to this mission. You knew that, but you were so lovesick you couldn't bear to leave her behind."

"That's not why I brought her."

Sinbad didn't want to admit the real reason he had brought her, that he still sometimes had moments where he wasn't quite sure where he was and his mind took him back to that place, that Thalia was the only thing that gave him relief. Otherwise, he'd have been grateful for the chance to get away. He always had to be on his best behavior with her, pretending he didn't notice the gentle sway of her hips when she walked, or that she'd recently let out the bust in some of her dresses. On the ship, he had to pretend that the sighs she made when she stretched weren't driving him mad, that he was fine with not having privacy to take care of himself for weeks at a time.

"Sure," Rolling his eyes, Mystras tugged playfully on Sinbad's arm. "Since that's the case, and you're not together, there's nothing wrong with having a little fun. Come on, Sin, let's goooo!".

Fun… in the red light district. Sighing, Sinbad stood up. It had been quite a while since he'd been with a woman. Maybe it would help get his mind off of…

He glanced back at Thalia one more time, her loose-fitting dress hinting at forbidden curves he would never see, much less touch. She didn't see him that way. She might never see anyone that way. Why should he continue to put his life on hold? They were both better off if he pursued other people.

"Fine."

Mystras dragged him deep into the redlight district to a hole-in-the-wall brothel, insisting the locals had said it had the most beautiful women. The reception area was partitioned from what sounded like a rowdy dining area. Sinbad assumed there were also private bedrooms for later in the night, once the alcohol and the flirting had lowered his inhibitions.

"Is there anything I can get you two handsome fellows?" A busty redhead asked, leaning on her elbow and batting her eyelashes. "It's 20 Farsu an hour for a girl, an extra 30 if you take her to bed."

Mystras pulled out a sack of gold and dropped it on the wooden counter. "Bring us your two most beautiful girls and your best wine. We'll take the full package."

The woman's eyes bulged as she counted out the coins in front of her. "Yes, sir. Of course. Right away. Please sit down and your girls will be with you shortly" She hurried off to fetch their partners for the night and Mystras wrapped an arm around Sinbad's shoulders.

"I told you!" the knight shouted. "This was a great idea."

Sinbad hid his confliction behind a laugh. He'd much rather it be Thalia in the empty seat next to him, dressed in one of those outfits that barely concealed anything, her sweet laugh drawing him in until their lips met. He would only pull back to catch his breath, but she wouldn't stop. Her lips would travel down his neck, and then—

"Hi." A woman draped in sheer silks took the seat Sinbad had just imagined Thalia in. The woman set the bottle of wine she'd been carrying down on the table, and Sinbad sized her up. She was his type— all women were his type, but she wasn't Thalia. Her eyes were a different kind of dark, more like onyx than a deep amethyst. Where Thalia was small and waif-like, this woman was sturdy and well-endowed. Thalia's hair was naturally straight, but this woman's raven hair fell in tight ringlets around a lovely face.

He hadn't known what he expected. Perhaps he'd hoped Thalia had a secret twin, someone whose eyes he could look into for a few hours and pretend was her. Instead he had gotten someone painfully beautiful, but also so painfully different from the girl he really wanted to be with.

"What should I call you?" he aske

"You can call me Denna," the woman said, tilting her neck seductively. "And you?"

"Sinbad," he responded, making no effort to jumpstart the conversation.

"You're obviously not from around here," she observed, though what exactly had clued her in remained a mystery to him. "So what brings you here to the dark continent?" She poured the wine into a goblet, leaning over so that he could catch a glimpse of her full breasts. Unexpectedly, his eyes lingered. He had to admit, he was curious. It really had been a long time since he'd let himself indulge in his baser instincts. Tearing his eyes away, he looked Denna in the eye to answer her.

"We're looking for unexplored land to start our own country."

His partner laughed, a bright, clear sound.

"If it were that easy to create a country, I'd be a queen already."

Instead of arguing with this stranger, Sinbad opted for flattery.

"Forgive me for saying so, but you already very much look like a queen."

After he said it, he realized it was true. Denna was worldly but refined. He imagined she navigated the trickiest situations with the same ease she displayed now, seducing a man who had shown no interest in her so far.

She raised a dark eyebrow, tipping his cup to his lips. "You're very smooth. I like you."

Sinbad nearly choked on his wine, his heart skipping a beat. He'd forgotten what it was like to have his flirtations reciprocated. Thalia had run off the last time he'd really tried. She was an impenetrable fortress, but Denna had opened her gates and offered him a feast.

"You'll like me even more by the end of the night," he assured her, sliding a hand around her waist.

"You think so?"

"I know it."

* * *

Thalia rubbed her forehead, staving off a spell of dizziness. She hadn't been sleeping well since Balbadd and she was running on fumes.

The conversation with King Rashid had left her thinking about her country, what had happened to it. She'd felt devastated and guilty when she first heard the news a little over four years ago, but now another emotion was slithering around in her chest: rage. The feeling had first sprouted when she first heard Serendine's name come out of Drakon's mouth after so many years. At the mention of the general of the Parthevian army assuming power, that sprout had grown like a weed, slowly choking out all her other emotions. It kept her up at night, and all she knew to do was try to distract herself however she could. On the boat, Nasha and Ravi's book had kept her busy, but here she had neither of those things to comfort her.

Instead, she sought distraction by going window shopping in the market. She glanced over at Sinbad, who was sitting at a table in front of a restaurant, watching her closely. Feeling reassured of her safety, she picked up a vase from one of the stalls and inspected it carefully.

"I'll give you a discount if you buy two," the stall's owner told her.

She shook her head. "I can't right now. I have to travel lightly. Maybe next time I'm here, I'll drop by."

"You're travelling?" The owner raised a scarred eyebrow. "Where to?"

"Nowhere in particular. We're just looking for land."

"Well, try not to die out there," he joked. " I'm looking forward to you coming back for those vases."

She laughed lightly. "I'll do my best."

Moving to the next stall, she eyed a necklace. It was stylistically quite different from any jewelry she had seen in Reim's mainland. Its asymmetrical design was created using golden beads of varying textures, lengths, and sizes. She looked up when a shadow fell over her, only to find two men towering over her.

"Are you lost?"

"It's dangerous for a woman to wander alone in these parts."

She glanced anxiously to where Sinbad had been sitting moments earlier. Where had he gone? She would just have to be careful navigating this situation. She knew from experience how quickly things could go south, as they had the day she'd met Sinbad.

"I'm actually not lost. My friends are just over that way." She pointed to in a nonspecific spot in the crowd.

When she looked back, several more people had gathered around her, a crowd of murmering strangers. Now she was starting to panic.

"Is she lost?"

"What's a mainlander doing here by herself?"

"Doesn't she know how dangerous this place is?"

The whispers reached her ears, and she relaxed just a little. It seemed all these people were genuinely well-meaning.

"I'm perfectly fine. My friends are nearby," she repeated.

"Thalia!" the crowd parted for Drakon's lumbering figure, and Thalia breathed a sigh of relief.

"See, I told you my friends were nearby. I'm fine," she said, inching toward him.

When he reached her, he placed two scaly hands on her shoulders. "What's going on?"

"I'm okay. There was just a misunderstanding."She gave him a reassuring smile. "They thought I was lost."

"You thought it would be a good idea to go shopping by yourself?" He seemed appalled. "That's a good way to get robbed in a place like this."

"Relax, I barely have any money on me." She held up her nearly empty coin purse to emphasize her point, but his eyebrows only furrowed further.

"That's a good way to get robbed and killed."

"Sin was with me." Thalia looked around for him again in the sea of unfamiliar faces. "Kind of. He was nearby. I don't know where he went. Do you think something happened to him?"

"No," Drakon sighed. "I have an idea where he might have gone. Mystras was talking about going there. Still, I can't believe he just left you like that."

"I was fine!" Thalia insisted. "Did you see how many people rushed to my aid when they thought I was in trouble? Imagine if I really were in danger."

"Imagine if they didn't have your best interest at heart. You would have been overpowered in seconds. You're not like the rest of us, Thalia."

"Because I'm a woman?"

"Because you're weak. If it were Serendine, I wouldn't be concerned, but you rely entirely too much on the goodness of others. You wouldn't be able to defend yourself if a situation arose where you needed to."

Thalia bit her tongue, trying not to chew him out for comparing her to that woman. If being weak meant she had one less thing in common with Serendine, she was fine with it. She had Sinbad to take care of her anyway. If he'd really believed she could be in danger, he wouldn't have left her. Sinbad always knew his limits, and he knew hers too. He believed in her. She sighed, scanning the crowd for a third time. "Where'd he go?"

Drakon coughed uncomfortably, not meeting her eyes. "That is a matter that should stay among men."

"Excuse me?" Thalia scoffed. She hated it when her friends pulled the boys only card. In Attica, women were excluded and sheltered most of their lives, but she'd been living in Reim for years. She expected her closest friends to treat her like an equal.

He sighed, scratching one of his fin-like ears. "I'm afraid if you knew, it would only hurt you."

Thalia tried to think of what Sinbad could possibly be doing that would upset her.

"He's not at a drug den is he?"

"No."

"Then he's selling the drugs."

"No, Thalia. There aren't any drugs."

"Oh, thank god. Well, he's not off selling slaves, so I can't possibly imagine what he could be doing—"

"He's in the red light district," Drakon finally admitted, throwing his hands up in defeat.

Thalia's nails dug into the palm of her hand so hard that it hurt. "That's all? You made it sound like something serious."

"Thalia…"

She blinked back tears, unsure what they meant. Was she disappointed in him? Why? Hadn't he as much as told her he was like this on the way to Balbadd? Hadn't she decided he was still her friend, even if she didn't approve?

Forcing a smile, she looked at Drakon.

"You seem to be misunderstanding something. I have no feelings for Sin. He has no feelings for me. What do I care what he does with other women?"

"Right." Drakon looked down at her sadly. "Whatever you say."

She hated the pity in his voice. It felt like he was looking down on her, like he couldn't trust her to handle her own emotions. She was almost seventeen, practically an adult, but right now she felt more like a child.

They walked in silence until Drakon stopped in front of a small tavern. "This is where we'll be staying. I already checked us in. You can go check out your room if you want." He pressed a small, brass key into her hand.

"I think I'm going to hang out at the bar for a bit," she told him quietly.

He nodded. "Alright. If you need anything, I'm just a couple doors down. Don't hesitate to come get me."

"Thank you, Drakon."

* * *

Sinbad took a sip of wine out of a goblet and pulled Denna closer to his side.

"Want to go again?" she asked, tracing her finger down his sternum. Her touch was skilled, something that sent shivers down his spine. He did want to go again. He wanted to go all night until he made up for all the lost time he'd spent pining for a girl who didn't want him.

He wished he could have stayed, but it was already late and he needed to be fully rested tomorrow. Besides, Thalia would be worried if he was out late.

"Maybe next time I'm in town," he told her.

"Alas," she sighed, throwing her hand up to her forehead dramatically. "It's so hard to find a client who actually makes this job enjoyable."

He cupped her chin in his hand, enjoying the seductive smile Denna flashed up at him. Thalia only ever looked at him like that in his fantasies. Seeing the real thing now, even on a different face, he nearly broke down and stayed. Instead, he stood and hunted down his pants, lost somewhere in the bedsheets.

"I'm sure there will be others." Aha! There they were. He pulled them out from under the blanket and put one leg in at a time.

"Oh, there are always others…" she confessed, hunching her bare shoulders. "but I have to admit, tonight will be pretty hard to beat."

He laughed, pulling on the rest of his clothes and fixing his hair before exchanging goodbyes. He'd needed tonight. All that pent up frustration, all that pining was gone. For so long, he'd convinced himself Thalia was the only one that could relieve the obsessive burning he'd been feeling toward her, but he'd been wrong. All he'd needed was a woman's touch. It hadn't mattered whose. He was back to his old self.

On his way to the inn, Sinbad puffed out his chest and grinned. Now he could be the friend Thalia deserved. From now on, things with her would be simple.

Sinbad passed through the door with a big grin, only half surprised to find Thalia at the bar with a glass of water next to her. She was slouching with her back to him, her head supported by her elbows. His smile dimmed. Had she stayed up to wait for him or had she been woken up by one of her bad dreams?

Sliding into the seat next to her, he grabbed her glass of water, taking a sip.

"Get your own," she muttered, rubbing her forehead with her hand. Sinbad raised his eyebrows. She usually didn't mind sharing her food and drink with him.

"What's the matter?" He set the glass down. "Do you have a headache?"

She gave him a sideways glance, the chill from her glare frosting the tips of his eyelashes. "Where were you tonight?"

He didn't want to lie, but he didn't want her to know the full truth either. Thalia was too sheltered and a little judgemental. It would have been better if he could keep her in the dark about tonight's romp. He settled for a vague truth. "Out with Mystras."

"Where is he?" she grilled him. "You didn't come back together?"

"We split up." He leaned forward, surprised at her sudden intense curiosity. "Is something wrong?"

"No. Everything's fine. I'm fine."

"Really?" he asked skeptically. "Because you look like you're about to rip out my throat. Are you mad because I left you back at the market?"

"I'm not mad. Why would you think I'm mad?" Her words were too hurried to be believable. "Whatever you do in your free-time is your own business. If you want to sleep with some whore—"

Sinbad reeled as the slur left his gentle friend's lips. He'd known she wouldn't react well if she found out, but this was taking things too far.

"Let's get one thing straight here. The women I see are working a job just like you do at the company," he said evenly.

Thalia brought her water to her mouth with a shaking hand. "Whatever. Like I said, it's none of my business. I don't care."

"What's gotten into you tonight?" He reached out to her, but she jerked away.

"I have enough to worry about without you coming back this late!" She sat up straight, her chest heaving.

Sinbad stared at her. Had he ever heard her raise her voice to anyone? This wasn't about him coming back late. Clearly, there was more going on here. He leaned his elbow on the counter, nudging her water toward her with his other hand.

Do you want to talk about it?"

The change in her demeanor was instantaneous. Her shoulders drooped and the tension fled from her posture.

"No. Thank you for asking, but no."

"Is it your bad dreams again?" he asked, observing the bags under her eyes.

He knew she had a penchant for nightmares, but she usually at least managed enough sleep that she looked refreshed in the mornings. Ever since Balbadd, she seemed to be becoming more and more run down. Something was obviously bothering her, but he had no idea what.

Her lips drew into a tight line. "That's not it. I just can't sleep lately."

"I can stay up with you if you like," he offered. "We can talk about anything you want. It doesn't have to be what's on your mind." He glanced behind the counter for topic ideas, his eyes landing on a loaf. "Bread. We can talk about bread. There's fluffy bread and flat bread…"

Thalia's eyes welled with tears.

"Sin, I..." Whatever she started to say, she seemed to think better of it. Instead she wiped her eyes, her fleeting moment of vulnerability gone. "Nevermind. Get some sleep. We've got a lot of walking to do in the morning."

He reached out and tousled her hair, only to be playfully waved away.

"Goodnight then," he told her.

She turned back to her cup and didn't respond.


	18. Narmes Titi

I just want to give a huge shout out to Addicted-to-GazettE for beta reading this chapter. I think you'll find she did a phenomenal job at finding my weak spots and helping me work through them. I hope she'll continue working with me for a while! Reviews are super welcome and super helpful! You guys have been spoiling me with all your reviews and I love it!  
Note: I changed the convo between Thalia and Ja'far, and until I edit future chapters there will be references to stuff that's not there anymore and I'm sorry!

* * *

 **Narmes Titi**

* * *

After two days of slogging through the unchanging desert sandscape, Thalia felt like she was going to die. Her knees were stiff, her feet ached, and her legs refused to cooperate. When her maids back in the palace had told her stories of brave men going on adventures to distant corners of the world, they had neglected to mention that quite so much walking was involved.

She thought about asking Hinahoho or Drakon to carry her the rest of the way to Heliohapt, but she had promised herself when she agreed to come on this trip that she wouldn't become a burden for her friends. She simply persevered, bringing up the rear with Sinbad and Mystras, who hovered over her like hawks. She was glad. When she stumbled, or her knees started to buckle, one of them would catch her. Sinbad told her they could stop to rest, but she knew a break wouldn't help. What she really needed was sleep. In a bed. With a hot breakfast.

Thalia interrupted Sinbad and Mystras's _fascinating_ conversation about the differences between their sword fighting styles to ask how much longer the trip would take.

Ja'far had heard their question and turned his head to answer.

"It'll be at least three days at this rate."

She groaned. Three more days of endless walking.

Tuning out the boys' rowdy conversations, she turned inward to the revenge fantasies that occupied so many of her thoughts these days. Sometimes, when she was feeling particularly bold and angry, she imagined impaling Barbarossa herself. It could be on a pike, a sword. It didn't matter how he died, only that he returned to the rukh. No, he didn't even deserve that. She wanted to erase his very existence.

Thalia's dark thoughts were interrupted by a gruff voice from above. "Heh! You're crossing the desert with those kids? Why don't you hand over all your belongings!" High up in the sand dunes, a group of bandits saddled on camels cackled rancorously, laughing at their leader's threat.

"Thalia, get behind me." Sinbad pushed her roughly to the back, not bothering with his usual restraint when handling her.

"Bandits! It's just like those guards said at Cathargo!" Mystras shouted, pointing excitedly. If Thalia weren't so frightened, she would have marveled at his ability to act like a child walking past a candy store in their current situation.

Without a word of warning, Ja'far threw out his arms, binding several of the bandits with wire. "I'm not capable of going easy on you right now, so… prepare yourselves."

From there the fight began in earnest. Hinahoho took out a half dozen men with one swing of his Rampaging Unicorn Horn, and Mystras decimated a line of five with one lunge. As Drakon picked a man up with his bare claws and shredded him to pieces, Masrur kicked a man so hard in the chest that he coughed up blood. Even Sinbad— kind, gentle, patient Sinbad— was in the midst of the fray. He adeptly parried a blow before slicing through a man's armor.

All the while Thalia stood back useless and helpless, fighting the urge to run. These people saturated in blood— which ones were the bandits and which were her friends? She couldn't tell anymore. They all looked the same to her.

"Alright now, Missy," Thalia squirmed when someone grabbed her from behind. Where had he come from? Had he broken off from the rest of his group? Images from _that_ night flashed through her head: _hands, sweat, skin_. She heard a woman scream and it took her a moment to realize it was her, the scream was coming from her own mouth. As her assailant pressed a knife in her neck, her body went limp.

"Pretty little thing you brought here!" her captor shouted to her friends. "It'd be a shame if something happened to her."

 _"This one's dressed funny, but she's got a good face. Never seen one like it."_

 _Fight._

The battle stopped, everyone staring at her. She willed her arms to move, to break her captor's nose, anything. The remained limp at her sides.

" _Serve this man well and make money for your mother. This is your atonement. I'll forgive you if he reports you were satisfactory."_

 _Fight!_

Now, a group of twelve was closing in around a group of five, two of which were towering above the rest. Those were her friends. They were going to get hurt. They were going to get hurt and it was all Thalia's fault.

 _"You are the perfect victim. No one loves you. No one wants you."_

 _Fight, damnit!_

Thalia struggled to free her mouth, opening her her jaw wide and biting biting until she drew blood. He tasted absolutely foul, dirt, sand, and iron assaulting her taste buds.

"Fucking bitch!" Stumbling backward, the man let her go. Thalia scrambled forward, fighting to push off from the shifting sand. She merely tumbled forward. At the same time she twisted her head to look behind her, two figures flew past her. They descended upon the man with righteous fury, one slicing off the arm that held the knife, the other plunging a lance into the man's chest.

Something hot and wet drenched her clothing, staining the white linen red.

"Are you okay?" Sinbad asked. He walked over to her side, holding out a bloody hand to help her up.

Thalia nodded blankly, pushing herself up on her own. She turned around to view the body of the man who had attacked her. There was so much blood. The metallic smell filled her nostrils. She was covered in it. Now she too was stained, just like the others. This was what she had wanted for Barbarossa. This was what he had done to her family, and this was it would be like to kill him. She stepped back in revulsion, retching on the sand.

Sinbad and Mystras joined the others in what little was left of the fray. They quickly overpowered the remaining bandits, sending the survivors scampering. They didn't stop to bury or burn the bodies. They just kept walking.

That night, they stopped to rest. While the others set up camp, Thalia found a dark, quiet spot away from them and peeled the blood-stained gown off of her body, replacing it with a clean one. Even though most of the blood had spattered on her skirt, Thalia could feel it all over her. She scrubbed the sand into her skin, trying to rid herself of the blood stains. She scrubbed and scrubbed until it hurt, but the feeling never left her. When she returned to camp, she left the stained dress behind to be swallowed by the desert, hoping her memories of the carnage would become buried with it.

"Hey, Thalia!" Hinahoho was the first to notice her return. He motioned for her to sit on the large boulder next to him, and Thalia obediently climbed on it, surprised to find it was still warm even in the chilly desert night. Then, he offered her a blanket, and she gratefully accepted, wrapping it around her shoulders. "What happened today… it must have been pretty scary for you, huh?"

Thalia nodded, resisting the urge to curl into a little ball. Sinbad had trusted her to be able to handle the Dark Continent. If anyone found out how badly shaken she was, it would just prove she didn't belong here. She would let him down. "But it's over now. I'm fine."

Hinahoho scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "You know, it might not seem like it, but I'm no stranger to fear. Did Sinbad tell you about how he and I first met?"

"It was the Rampaging Unicorn you got your weapon from, right?" Thalia pointed to the tool in question, which was lying on the ground next to him. "You hesitated and your sister was in trouble."

"Alright, Sinbad's been bragging about me!" He gave her a cheerful grin before his face sobered. "I was so scared then. I guess what I'm trying to say is you can talk to me because I know what it's like. Are you really okay? What you went through today was..."

"Of course." The fire made a cracking noise and she flinched violently, wrapping her blanket more tightly around her.

He sighed, leaning toward her. "You know any of us would be more than willing to talk to you if you decide you want to open up. It's okay to be scared after something like that."

She smiled gently, meeting his eyes.

"Thank you. I really am fine."

"Ahaha!" Mystras's laughter rang out across the campsite. "Drakon, did you see me out there? I was like bam! Whop! Pow!" Mystras mimicked thrusting his spear into an enemy and Drakon laughed loudly.

"You did well out there, but I'm certain I took down more than you."

"What? No way!"

Thalia turned her attention from her friends to the fire. How were they acting like everything was normal? Didn't they realize people were dead? She thought back to how she'd believed her friends couldn't understand her desire for vengeance because they were too kind. Now she was the one who didn't understand. They hadn't even been fazed by today's battle, and she was a wreck.

"What's going on here?" Thalia jumpsed as Sinbad climbed onto the boulder, taking his place at her side. "Are you and Hinahoho having a heart to heart about how awesome I am?"

Playing off her momentary panic with a laugh, Thalia said, "Actually, Hinahoho was just checking on me."

Sinbad leaned over Thalia to look at the giant on her other side. "Was she honest with you? Thalia's not very good about being honest with her feelings." He elbowed her playfully and she returned the favor, only less playfully.

"That's funny, coming from you." Hinahoho winked mischievously.

"What's that supposed to mean? I'm always honest." Crossing his arms defensively, Sinbad looked to Thalia for support.

"Yeah, Sin is a saint. That's why his hair is so luscious." Picking up the end of his ponytail, Thalia ran her fingers through it. "The hair gods have blessed him for his purity, but if he lies, it will all fall out."

Hinahoho groaned. "This is what I'm talking about. The two of you don't even try to hide it."

"What do you mean?" Thalia wondered aloud.

"You two can't stop flirting for five seconds."

Thalia dropped Sinbad's hair.

"We are _not_ flirting!"

"We don't flirt!"

Thalia and Sinbad objected at the same time. Thalia looked away, her face growing heated. She could feel Sinbad tensing beside her. He must have been equally uncomfortable.

From across the campfire, Mystras slapped his knee and cackled. "Did you guys hear that? They can read each other's minds!"

"Creepy…" Masrur bit into his jerky and stared at them.

"You guys, leave the two love birds alone." Drakon chuckled into his hand.

Hinahoho laughed as well. "All I'm saying is I want in invitation to the wedding."

"Oh, come on, you guys! You know Thalia and I don't…" Sinbad paused, and Thalia dared to glance up at him. He was red as well. "You know we're not like that."

It was all too much. Just this afternoon, she experienced one of the worst moments in her life, and now her friends were teasing her and Sinbad about their unusual closeness. It was jarring, but they had made her forget about her worries, if only for a bit.

Thalia burst into whole-hearted laughter. "I never imagined I'd have such a lively group of friends," she confessed. "Thank you guys."

Though, one person had been noticeably absent from the teasing. Thalia glanced over to Ja'far, who was watching her with those same, wary eyes. Perhaps he was angry with her for endangering everyone earlier. Maybe she even deserved his ire. After all, if she hadn't been so weak, or if she'd paid more attention to her surroundings, she might have avoided being captured.

"Let's all be sure to get a good rest." She hopped down from the boulder, wiping the dust off her skirts. "We have more walking to do tomorrow."

When the others had cleared out, she walked over and knelt down beside Ja'far.

"Hey."

He didn't speak at first. He just watched her, still as a snake ready to strike. When he finally did open his mouth, he said, "You don't belong here."

Thalia hadn't expected to hear kind words from him, but his reprimand still stung.

"I know," she agreed. When Sinbad had invited her, he'd surely never imagined there would be bandits who would try to hurt her. He couldn't have known things would turn out this way. He wouldn't have brought her if he'd known. Thalia was sure of it.

Ja'far continued, "You're a distraction, and it almost got us killed."

"You're right," Thalia shook her head, "but I'm here, whether I should be or not. Let's just try to get through this alive, okay?"

There was a moment of silence before he responded. "Okay."

"Hey, Ja'far!" Sinbad was over with the sleeping bags, waving the boy over. "It's Thalia's turn to put out the fire! Don't spoil her! She's got to learn to do it herself!"

Sighing, Ja'far stood and started to walk away, and Thalia set about doing her task, mixing the ashes to check for any leftover embers.

"Hey Thalia…"

"Hm?" Thalia looked up to find Ja'far had paused, looking back toward her.

"If something like that ever happens again, I'm choosing Sinbad's safety over yours."

She smiled. "I never expected anything else."

Sinbad was so much more precious than Thalia. She couldn't imagine a world without him.

Ja'far frowned before turning his head and walking away.

Three days later, after a brief stop at an oasis where everyone had taken turns washing themselves off, the group finally arrived at the kingdom of Heliohapt. At this point, the only thing propelling Thalia forward was the promise of a warm bed. She trailed behind her friends, gawking at the pylons and pillars that lined the giant staircase leading up to the center of the kingdom. For such a small kingdom, it seemed vast. Streets bustled with people in strange clothing, and unusual buildings loomed above them. She had never seen anything like it.

Mystras stopped walking and Thalia, enamored by her surroundings, rammed into his back.

"What's wrong?" Sinbad asked, turning around after hearing an angry yelp.

"T-trouble!" the knight stammered. "The women here are even more exposed than they were in Artemyra!"

Thalia glanced in the direction he was looking. Gorgeous women with round, perky breasts were everywhere. She deflated. Big breasts were what guys liked, right? Idly, she brought a hand to her own chest. It had grown over the last year to the point that she'd needed to ask Rurumu to teach her how to let out her dresses, but how could she ever catch up to these women?

Wait, since when did she _want_ anyone to be attracted to her? She used to find male attention a nuisance at best, horrifying at worst. Had something changed?

She glanced to her best friend, thinking about how he'd stolen her breath away on the ship. The memory brought scorching heat to her cheeks— or was that just the desert sun beating down on her?

"It must just be part of the culture here," Sinbad said sagely. "It's not a problem."

Thalia's insecurities lifted a little. Maybe Sinbad was mature enough that a few bare breasts wouldn't faze him.

"What do you mean?" Mystras asked, fanning his face.

"I mean, we should openly ogle as much as we want."

 _Or not._

Thalia twitched with irritation. It was perfectly normal that boys their age would be interested in the human body. She'd known about Sinbad's lascivious side for a while. So, why did she feel betrayed? After all, they were just friends. Friends don't get jealous over things like that, right?

The two boys started to run toward a group of women and Ja'far restrained them, yelling something about a queen and a pit.

Suddenly a crowd had surrounded the seven of them, exchanging whispers. It reminded Thalia of her experience at the market in Cathargo. This time, she didn't panic. She had her friends with her to protect her in a worst case scenario.

Three young adults stepped forward. Around their arms, each of them was wearing a sash. They all had one hand over their hearts and bright smiles on their faces.

"Welcome!" the boy in front wore the biggest smile of any of them, his kind eyes lighting up. "Welcome, travelers, to the mysterious country of Heliohapt! It must have been hard crossing the desert."

Thalia nodded enthusiastically. It had been hard, at least for her. Her friends just made it look so easy, but finally, here was someone who understood her.

"If you'd like, we can escort you to an inn." In unison, the group gestured in what must have been the direction of the inn. "Or, if you'd prefer, we can give you a tour of a couple of famous sightseeing spots!"

 _Choose the inn,_ Thalia willed Sinbad. _We've done enough walking. Choose the inn!_

"The tour sounds great!" Sinbad shouted obliviously.

Thalia slumped, praying for the sweet release of death. How did he still have energy? They'd been walking for days on end, and more over this place was basically a giant staircase. Who in his right mind wouldn't choose the inn?

Ja'far shook his head. "I'm sorry. We can't possibly ask that of someone we just met. If there's a reason why you're offering to help us, I'd appreciate if you tell us."

Thalia glared at Ja'far. Clearly these were kind, empathetic people who had no ulterior motives and simply wanted to deliver her to the warm embrace of a decent bed. Was that so wrong?

The boy scratched the back of his head nervously. "Ah… Sorry, we're not really used to this yet. I guess we haven't really explained ourselves. Our country of Heliohapt is surrounded by desert, and it's been a long time since we've had contact with the outside world. However, due to the new policy of the current king, we're going to actively seek out contact with other countries. We of the younger generation will take the initiative to act as mediators between our country and others. That's why we've been given the task of reaching out to any travelers who might visit the country." The group bowed apologetically. "But we got over-excited and neglected to explain properly. Sorry for startling you."

"Ja'far… if that's the case, it would be fine to accept their offer, wouldn't it?" Sinbad gestured to the welcoming committee.

"I agree," Thalia planted herself firmly at Sinbad's side. "We should go to the inn—"

"Sightseeing tour, Thalia!" Sinbad nudged her enthusiastically.

"But the inn has beds…"

"It'll still have beds later."

Thalia groaned, but the excited faces of the welcoming committee gave her just enough strength to resign herself to her fate. Sinbad was right. The beds would still be there later.

The sightseeing tour included a large idol of a sphinx, a gate that supposedly granted happiness to anyone who passed through it, and a royal palace. The palace consisted of three pyramids raised on a huge platform. Thalia estimated the number of stairs leading up to the main entrance to be at least in the hundreds, and she was grateful they had no plans to visit, especially not today.

Next, the tour guide took them through the markets. Exotic fruits and spices lined the stalls, few of which Thalia had ever seen before. From one stall hung some kind of spiky fruit that resembled a bunch of bananas, and in another stall, she saw the red flowers her country had imported from here hundreds of years ago. Lingering behind, she stopped to inspect them. The Heliohaptian ones were slightly different from the ones in Attica. They were less bright and fragrant, and Thalia wondered if they were as potent.

"Sinbad! What the heck is that?" Thalia looked up to see Mystras dragging Sinbad over to a stall on the other side of the market.

"What is this? I've never seen anything like it!" Sinbad picked something up, and held it up in the air.

"It's edible, right? Ah! It moved!"

Thalia left the merosh flowers and walked over to the two noisy boys, curiosity winning her over. What Sinbad was holding was a plant that looked like a little person, complete with eyes and chest hair. When the thing's "leg" twitched, she recoiled.

"What's that?" she asked the seller, leaning as far back from the disgusting thing as she could without falling over.

"You lot have quite the discerning eye!" He responded cheerfully. "Those are called Mandarulu. It's a plant that only grows in this area. If you boil it alive, it becomes a medicine good for headaches."

"Boil it alive? How morbid." Thalia squinted at the eerily person-like roots, hoping their similarities to humans were merely superficial. If they screamed or started walking, she would have nightmares for months. "It really works for headaches, though?"

"Yes! The seller shook his head enthusiastically. He pointed to striped bell flower "That one's called Toliri helmet. The nectar is good for your eyes, and these… " He directed their attention to mushrooms that reminded Thalia of spirits rising up from the underworld. "... are cypress faces. They're also good for headaches. And over here is the fang of the Maurenia Baboon…"

"That's pretty amazing," Ja'far admitted. "I've never seen any of these before."

"These are only a small portion of what Heliohapt has to offer!" The pretty girl that was part of the welcoming committee spoke for the first time.

The leader placed his hand over his heart again, and Thalia couldn't help but think it made everything he said seem that much more sincere. "The people of Heliohapt have been studying them since ancient times and cultivating our knowledge and techniques for preparing and mixing these plants. Our medicines work extremely well, and people come from all over the world to request them. For example, these…" He held out three small pellets. "... help to relieve fatigue. Try them."

Thalia took one gladly, and Sinbad and Mystras took the other two for themselves.

"Amazing! It's like all my exhaustion vanished in an instant!" Sinbad gushed. Thalia had to agree. She felt human again, like maybe she could last at least a couple more hours before she began to resent him for choosing the tour again.

"You look much better," the boy assured her. "I'm glad it worked. That's actually made from the urine of the Mauritania Baboon combined with Mandarulu that's been pickled for a hundred days."

While the two boys beside her purged themselves on the ground, Thalia clenched her stomach, wishing she had not been informed of the ingredients in this particular medicine. Urine? Why was urine a necessary ingredient?

"Is something wrong?" The tour guide wrung his hands nervously, but Thalia flashed him a bright smile.

"I'm sure their stomachs aren't used to handling such effective medicines."

When Sinbad finished emptying his stomach, he stood up, wiping the vomit off his mouth with his sleeve. "Ugh, but these medicines are amazing. If we could start trading them…"

Ja'far nodded, picking up one of the strange herbs. "It's true that all the things here are unusual, and on top of that, they've been perfected through years of refined techniques and research."

"You!" Sinbad accosted their tour guide, grabbing his arms excitedly. "How much are these medicines? How much do you have in stock? Can you produce them in mass quantities? Do you trade?"

The young Heliohaptian man cocked his head to the side nervously, maintaining a polite smile. "If you're interested in that, you should go to the palace, where they handle diplomatic matters."

The palace? Thalia thought back to the enormous staircase and instantly dreaded the idea of going there. Sinbad, however, wouldn't take no for an answer. He practically dragged the whole group to the giant pyramid complex in the center of the small kingdom.

Magic energy pills or not, Thalia did not want to climb those steps.

"How many stairs does this place need?" Thalia muttered as they approached the main entrance. She'd started off counting the number of steps in the Torran language, using the opportunity to practice what little she remembered, but lost track at around 200.

"I don't see a problem," Masrur grunted, his sturdy legs still holding strong.

"This is good, Thalia," Sinbad said, keeping pace with her, "You're going to need to become tough to take back Attica. Even if you're just in the background giving commands, you'll need to be able to endure some pretty tough situations."

Taking heart from his words, Thalia clenched her fist in front of her to show her determination. He made an approving noise, patting her on the head and bounding ahead effortlessly.

She twitched. She had thought she was keeping up with him, but he'd been holding back.

 _This jerk… Showing off…_

She pushed herself even harder, determined to prove she was just as capable as her friends, but her legs were so heavy and her lungs were aching. When they finally reached the top of the stairs, she nearly collapsed in relief, hunching over over to catch her breath.

"Greetings, travelers."

Thalia looked up to see a group of three people standing in the entrance. The one who had spoken stood in the middle, and Thalia couldn't help but stare.

His white hair was cut short, a spiky cloud upon his head. Full lips curled into an easy smile, and his over-large ears gave his otherwise mature face a charming boyishness. He was handsome, and it sent her heart racing. She forgot her fatigue and straightened, tucking her hair back behind her ear.

Then, he turned his handsome face to her, his emerald eyes boring right into her. She quickly looked away, a flush creeping up her neck. Now, her knees were weak, but it wasn't just because they were tired. Was this what they called a crush? The only other time she'd felt like this was…

No. Thalia refused to think about that.

The boy turned his head back to her friends, making that same earnest gesture the tour guide had been so fond of. She was beginning to think it was a cultural thing, some kind of gesture to show respect— almost like a bow.

"I am the king's consul, Narmes."

A consul… So he has experience as someone in charge of peoples' welfare.

"Currently, our country is proactively seeking contact with the outside world. It seems the king would like to meet with you personally." He guided them to a long halfway and gestured for them to step forward. When Drakon was about the pass, the guard in the bird mask stopped him. Everyone froze. If they realized he wasn't human, how would they react? Would they be afraid? Would all of them be chased out of the country?

"You… I can't believe it! We're like a matching set!" The guard pointed to Drakon's face and his own. "I didn't think other countries had this tradition! We wear masks to ward away evil!"

Everyone relaxed. And Narmes waved them through, whispering something in the guard's ear. When it was Thalia's turn to pass, the guard stopped her.

"Not you. You'll have to stay behind."

"Excuse me?" Thalia stood on the tips of her toes to look over his shoulder, watching her retreating friends. "Did I do something wrong?"

Narmes shook his head. "I need to speak with you in private. Come take a walk with me, will you?"

Shit. He'd caught her staring and thought she was suspicious. He was going to scold her, maybe even detain her. Thalia walked with him side by side, into what appeared to be a parlor of some sort. He motioned for her to sit down in a large, stone chair, and took a seat across from her.

"Narmes…" Thalia wrung her hands anxiously, hoping she looked pathetic and disarming, despite her bedraggled state. "I hope I have not offended you in any way." It had been rude to stare, but honestly, she would do it again if she knew she wouldn't get caught.

"Quite the opposite, actually." He grinned at her mischievously, and she waited for him to elaborate. He just sat there, the live snake around his wrist staring at her curiously.

"I don't understand." Thalia scratched her scalp nervously, and a few grains of sand tumbled onto her lap. "Why did you pull me aside?"

"What is your name?" he asked, his eyes twinkling. He was enjoying toying with her, and Thalia wasn't sure she quite minded either. Her heart started racing again. This handsome boy wanted to know about her.

"T— Thalia," she stammered.

"Miss Thalia, am I correct in assuming that you find me visually pleasing?"

Thalia coughed uncomfortably, certain she was expelling the spirit from her body. She could die from embarrassment.

"That's… um…" She vacillated between knowing that a lie would be futile at this point and wanting to try anyway.

Smiling warmly, Narmes reached out and took her hand. "It's okay. Your face says it all, Thalia."

Her free hand shot up to her traitorously hot cheeks. Of course he could see she was beet red. There was no way she could have hidden the way her heart was pounding right now.

He gave a gentle laugh. "There's no need to be embarrassed. Your sentiments are not entirely unreciprocated." He cleared his throat, turning slightly pink himself.

Thalia's jaw nearly fell from the floor. She was covered with sweat and sand, but this extremely handsome boy thought she was pretty enough to want to talk to. Even though he was surrounded by the beautiful, lush women of Heliohapt, he'd still chosen Thalia.

"That's why I was thinking," he continued, "if you wanted, we could try going on a date tonight."

"A date?" Thalia withdrew her hand from his. Dates were what commoners did to get to know someone they were interested in romantically. As a child, she'd dreamed about going on dates, falling in love. Now, here she was with an opportunity to go on one. There was no father to tell her who she had to marry, nothing to stop her but herself.

He could turn out to be another Marcus. He could also be her king. There was only one way to find out.

"I accept."

As soon as the words left her mouth, his face lit up. Thalia found his smile infectious and grinned in return. She was looking forward to this. She wasn't going to let fear get in her way. She was ready to try and trust again. She didn't have to marry him, she just needed to go on one date.

Standing up, he held out his hand to help her up. "Then, let's join your friends in the throne room, shall we?"

Thalia gladly accepted, and they walked back through the large, echoing hallways, passing the guard and through the long hallway that lead to the throne room.

When they entered, her friends gave her prying looks. She avoided their eyes, too embarrassed to look at them. What would they think if they found out she was flirting while they were working? Ja'far would probably be mad, and the others all thought she had feelings for Sinbad, which obviously wasn't the case.

"Ah, there you are Narmes," a man in a golden headdress greeted them, flanked by a middle aged woman and a man with a dog mask. "You're late."

"I was merely asking the girl some questions," Narmes snapped. "What do you want, Gafra?"

Gafra shook his head in a poor attempt at mock-despair. "I was just saying how disappointed I am in you for bringing foreigners to meet with the king at a time like this. Clearly, your lack of judgement proves that you're not fit for the title of Consul."

Apparently they had walked in at a bad time. What did he mean by "a time like this?" Was Heliohapt experiencing some kind of turmoil?

Gafra continued, crossing his arms smugly. "Don't you see what's going on? Ever since the death of the former king and the enthronement of Prince Armakan, this country has seen nothing but bad luck. You are aware, are you not? Of the increase in sudden deaths with no apparent cause… Healthy young people have started dropping dead for no reason. We're using all our resources to investigate this phenomenon, but you know what they're calling it in the city? _A curse._ "

" _She'll bring a curse upon this entire nation. Guards!"_

 _Is something… wrong with me?_

Thalia shook off the memories that were threatening to well up in her. There was no such thing as a curse, but she certainly believed in people willing to murder innocent citizens for their own political gain. She was willing to bet this man was involved, as well. This is what she'd been trained to recognize in the palace: a power struggle. This other faction was using corrupt tactics to try to force the King into a corner.

"That's right," a middle aged woman beside Gafra said with a sneer. "Our great former king strove to keep Heliohapt an independent country free from foreign influences. Despite that, our current king has chosen to ignore the will of the former king and has decided to let these foreigners into our country. That's unforgivable. I'm sure these actions have provoked the rage of the great former king."

Narmes tensed at her side. "Lord Gafra! Lady Patra! You are in front of your king!"

Thalia found his rage understandable. A loyal servant does not tolerate such disrespect. His willingness to stand up for his king was a trait she found admirable.

"Our apologies." Gafra held his hands up as though submitting. "We did not intend to be rude. It is just, we do not wish for this curse brought about by the ill-advised decision to reverse our isolationist foreign policy to affect our king."

The dangerous gleam in his eyes told Thalia that he very much wished for the king to drop dead.

The trio that comprised the former king's faction then took their leave, and Narmes scratched his head apologetically. "I'm sorry that you had to witness such a spectacle Let's leave the negotiations to another day. We'll pay for your lodgings as an apology."

"Thank you for your generosity, Narmes," Sinbad responded. Thalia wandered back over to his side, but kept a distance between herself and her best friend. If her friends didn't accept that what she had with Sinbad was platonic, then she doubted Narmes would understand.

They said their goodbyes and reunited with the tour guide. As they were walking to their accommodations, Ja'far asked, "That was strange how Narmes pulled you to the side. What did he want with you?"

"Oh, that…" She glanced up at Sinbad, who was listening intently. For some reason, her face grew hot. She suddenly didn't feel like bragging about her plans for the night. "He just had a question, is all."

Ja'far raised an eyebrow. "What kind of question?"

"Just how long we traveled to get here. I think he's curious about the outside world, you know?" It wasn't the best lie Thalia had ever told, but it was plausible.

"Still…" Ja'far stroked his chin in thought. "I wonder why he wouldn't have asked the whole group."

Thalia laughed and changed the subject before he caught her in a lie. Ja'far was much too clever to fool for long.

"I wonder what the inn will be like..."

"This is it, just ahead!" the tour guide enthusiastically pointed out. The building was a quaint, sandstone structure with a surprisingly spacious inside.

Sinbad quickly checked them in and handed each of them their keys. While the others stayed talking to the tour guide, Thalia snuck off to find her room and get ready for her date.

* * *

Marim: Thank you for your review! Don't worry! It was really helpful! I'll definitely keep what you suggested in mind as I develop other relationships in the story (it's too late to go back). As for Ja'far's behavior, I hope you don't find him unlikable! My interpretation of Ja'far's character in canon is that his life is Sinbad-centric to an unhealthy degree, plus he's like 10 or 11 at this point (I think? I get confused on my timeline), and he's very sarcastic and has a bit of a barbed tongue. Building from there, in my story, he sees that Thalia and Sinbad have a really intense relationship that does indeed border on obsession at times. He sees Sinbad making terrible decisions when it comes to her, and also she's the first girl Sinbad has actually displayed _romantic_ interest in. So yes, he's jealous because Thalia is the first real threat he's come across, but he's also protective of both Sin and Thalia- Sin because of the reasons I just mentioned, and Thalia because Sinbad is a notorious playboy. I hope I'll be able to demonstrate Ja'far's complex feelings about Thalia more clearly in future chapters. I don't mean to make him seem just bitter and jealous. Thank you for letting me know he was coming off that way.

Because I feel like my weakness as an author led to Sinbad not being characterized very well, I want to go ahead and explain what I've had in mind for him and Thalia so far. You may or may not find it a satisfactory explanation for the deviation in Sinbad's character. I chose to write Sinbad and Thalia as borderline (if not fully) codependent because they forged that bond in an extremely tense and traumatizing environment. For Sinbad, at least in his mind, not only is Thalia the only one of his friends who truly understands the horrors he went through as a slave, but she provided him reprieve from the torture Lady Maader was putting him through. Do you remember how Lady Maader would do the same thing to create an association in his mind that she offered protection? And how it worked and he began to develop an intense desire to please her? In Thalia's case, she wasn't trying to manipulate him- at least, not in the same way- but it did have a profound impact on the way Sinbad saw her.

I feel like the Slave Arc in the manga is really where he experiences the first of his traumas that lead him to rely less on his friends and to view himself as separate from them. In this case, the opposite has happened. He latched on to one person who was significant to his survival during that period. I know I kind of rushed through that Arc and didn't develop their relationship very well (That's my weakness showing), and, looking back, I agree, Sinbad's feelings for her were very sudden. The idea was that he'd already had intense feelings for her to begin with, and now that he was out of a traumatizing situation, he could finally let his guard down enough to consider things like romance and indulging in sexual desires. For him, seeing Thalia in that way was a logical leap. Probably, the course of progression for something like that would be less sudden, though. I'd probably rewrite that if I hadn't already published it (oops). I'll work harder to try to balance the intensity of his relationship with Thalia in a way that still feels in character. Please let me know how I'm doing.


	19. Date Night

**Hello! Once again, I'd like to thank you guys for the reviews, and I'd like to thank Addicted-to-GazettE for beta reading and helping me think through this chapter. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

As soon as she found her room, Thalia pulled out all her clothing and laid each of her dresses out on the bed. She hovered over the pieces, inspecting each one carefully. While one had a bit of embroidery on the hem, they were all generally the same— dingy white, ankle-length dresses. She had just washed them at the oasis, but they would never again be the color they had been before trekking through the dusty desert.

Sighing, she scratched her head. She had no idea how to dress for a date, but surely none of these were suitable. What if she showed up in her plain dresses with her plain hair, and her date wasn't impressed? Though, Narmes didn't seem the type to mind. She supposed this was more about her. Tonight, she was doing something special. She wanted to wear an expensive dress and feel like the princess she was, even if it was just for a few hours.

She could go out and buy a Heliohaptian dress, but she had seen them on the women. Thalia was not willing to bear her breasts for the world to see, even if it was normal here. Those were something she wanted to remain private.

So, she decided to wear the one with the embroidery— not quite princess standards, but the closest thing that she owned.

Just as she leaned over to pick it up, she heard a rapping on her door. Thalia hurriedly stuffed her dresses back in her bag and took a deep breath. It was probably Sinbad asking her to do something tonight. She would tell him she had a headache. No, that wouldn't do. The tour guide had shown all of them where to get medicine for headaches earlier.

Fine then, she thought, pounding her fist into her palm resolutely. I'll just tell him I'm too tired to hang out. If he insists, I'll slam the door in his face.

Bracing herself, Thalia padded over to the door and turned its handle, opening it. "I really can't tonight, Sin, I have an appointment with my b—"

She froze. It was not Sinbad on the other side of the door. In fact, it was two people, two Heliohaptian women carrying baskets of gold ornaments and perfume bottles.

"Lady Thalia?"

"Th- that's me." Thalia stood completely still, her mind straining to comprehend the significance of their presence.

One of the women, tall with braided hair, raised her basket. "My lady, Master Narmes has instructed us to help you prepare for tonight."

"Ah… um…" She struggled to pry her eyes away from the woman's exposed breast, heat rushing to her face. When she did manage to regain her faculties, she marched stiffly to the side, allowing them space to enter. What was she supposed to do, turn them away? What if Narmes interpreted that as a snub?

Rubbing her arm anxiously, she watched the two women enter. They bowed before setting their baskets on the bed.

The one closer to Thalia's height had short hair and nipple piercings. She gave Thalia a friendly smile and fished a white bundle of fabric out of one of the baskets.

"Since you traveled through the desert, Master Narmes thought you might not have anything to wear tonight. He sends you this Heliohaptian tunic along with some other gifts."

Thalia imagined herself in one of the dresses these women were wearing, one or both breasts hanging out, and her hands instantly shot protectively over her chest. There was no way she was wearing a Heliohaptian dress.

"I can't…" she muttered, shaking her head. "I can't go out like that."

The two women exchanged glances, then the tall one giggled."You mean, you don't want to go out showing your chest?" The short one unfolded the bundle of fabric to reveal it was more like Narmes's tunic had been— covering the chest but leaving the sides bare. "You foreigners are so interesting. Master Narmes thought you might be more comfortable with a men's tunic. Is this okay?"

Thalia let out a sigh of relief. "Yes, that's fine. Thank you." Thalia still wasn't sure how she felt about showing her sides, but at this point, she was grateful she wouldn't be going in rags.

"I think you'll find this much more comfortable," the short one said with a kind smile. "In Heliohapt, our clothing helps us to adapt to the extreme heat of the desert. The way you're dressed is…" She drew in a sharp hiss of air, her eyes locked on Thalia's long, cotton skirt. "Well, I suppose it protects you from the sun."

Thalia picked up the heavy fabric of her skirt, pulling it away from her sticky legs and relishing the fresh breeze of air. It was true that she hadn't considered the way her clothing would affect her in the heat. Balbadd and Reim could get hot but never to this extent.

The tall maid strode over, her hand on her chin as she looked Thalia up and down. "We have a lot of work to do. Shall we get started?"

"We"? Thalia frowned. She hardly needed help getting dressed. She had been doing it on her own for years.

"I'm afraid I won't be requiring your assistance."

The two women glanced at each other, shifting uncomfortably.

"We were instructed to serve you as thoroughly as we would royalty."

Shaking her head, Thalia crossed her arms. "I'll let you know if I need anything."

"Yes, my lady." They brought their hands up to their chests in the Heliohaptian salute.

First, they escorted her to an annex on the side of the inn. Three walls offered protection and privacy, but the far side consisted of two thick pillars, letting in ample daylight and providing a beautiful view of the expanse of the city below. In the water of the bath, delicate white lilies floated peacefully, beckoning for Thalia to join them.

After instructing the maids to wait outside, she stripped off her hot dress reveled in feeling the fresh air against her skin. Whenever she was traveling with the boys, she rushed her clothing changes and baths so as not to inconvenience Sinbad, who usually stood guard. This time, she didn't feel the imminent threat of being walked in on. She was able to relax and enjoy herself.

Slowly, she lowered herself to the grainy tile floor near the edge of the bath and dipped one toe into it. The water was refreshingly cool, sending a pleasant shiver up her spine. She eagerly submersed the rest of her body next. The layer of sand and grime on her skin gently floated away, leaving her truly clean for the first time in a week.

She could have stayed in that bath forever, protected from the heat and the troubles of the world outside, but once she had washed her hair and thoroughly scrubbed the rest of her body, she re-emerged. After drying herself off with a towel, she slipped on the tunic. It fit well enough to serve its purpose. It covered her chest, draping down her stomach and back, then converging low on her hips. From there, it was more like a skirt, coming down to her knees.

She properly disposed of the towel in a laundry basket and gathered her dress before rejoining the maids outside.

Upon returning to her room, Thalia sat on the edge of the bed as she brushed her hair, inspecting the various perfume bottles and cosmetic containers. When her hair was tangle-free, she set the comb down and picked up a small bottle, opening it to sniff its contents. It smelled strongly of lavender, and she held it out to the maids.

"What is this? Perfume?"

The tall one rushed over to her side, apparently more eager to serve than Thalia had ever been. "We use an array of oils and creams to soften and protect the skin. This one is lavender oil, but we've also provided other scents too. Would you like us to apply them for you?"

Thalia shook her head vigorously. "I'll put them on myself, but you know Narmes better, right?"

The tall one answered. "Master Narmes is a generous employer and an honorable man. We're lucky to serve him."

Employer… so they aren't slaves. Maybe Narmes doesn't even keep slaves, Thalia thought hopefully. Her respect for him would triple if that were the case. The maid had also referred to him as "generous" and "honorable", which Thalia found comforting coming from people who were close to him. If he really was such a good guy, she wanted to impress him. She wanted him to think she was attractive.

"Would you mind picking some out for me?" Thalia twisted a lock of her wet hair around her finger anxiously. "Some that he would like?"

"Use the sandalwood," the short one whispered. "He likes when I burn sandalwood incense."

The tall one nodded and handed Thalia an amber bottle. When Thalia opened it, a warm, woody scent hit her nose. It reminded her of the temple to Asena, where she had often burned the incense in a ritual to honor the goddess during festivals. The festivals were one of the few times she was able to leave her corner of the palace and interact with her people, and they had often come up to her, praising her and wishing blessings upon her. Thalia inhaled deeply, massaging the oil into her neglected and dry skin. When she was done, she handed the bottle back to the tall maid.

"Thank you."

The tall maid responded with a smile, replacing the oil and pulling out a pink glass bottle.

"This is one of Master Narmes's favorite scents," she informed Thalia, popping off the lid.

The smell instantly hit Thalia, and it was more familiar than that of the sandalwood. It assaulted her senses, unearthing memories she'd been fighting to keep buried ever since she'd first seen that lovely, pink hair at the company.

* * *

Ten-year-old Thalia sat with Serendine on her bed, brushing her fellow princess's silky, pink hair. The smell of roses wafting from it lulled Thalia into a state of relaxation. It was her favorite smell, a smell she associated with the girl in front of her. She'd loved it ever since the first time she'd been close enough to smell it. Being with Serendine like this was heaven.

"You know," Serendine said, tilting her head back and staring at the ceiling. "Junior and I have been friends for so long. He's like a dear little brother to me, but lately, he's been acting differently. I just don't know how to deal with it."

Thalia tried to think about what Serendine could be referring to. He'd grown less abrasive lately, calmer. He'd also started to stutter a bit, growing flustered whenever Serendine talked to him. Could he…?

"Do you think he likes you?" Thalia asked, her grip tightening on the comb as a wave of nausea hit her.

"That's… no. That's impossible. Who would like a tomboy like me?" Serendine turned around to face her. "Wouldn't it be more fitting for him to like you? You're so pretty, Thalia. You could have anyone you wanted."

Anyone…? No. That's not true.

Thalia didn't understand the jealousy that was welling up within her. If there was a blossoming romance between her two friends, she should support it. There was nothing else she could do.

Thalia carefully pulled the comb through a tangle in Serendine's hair. "I think he does like you."

"Well, he's closer to your age," Serendine mused. "Do you have someone you like?"

"S-someone I like?" Thalia's face grew hot, her heart skipping a beat. "I— no. I've never liked anyone."

She couldn't like anyone. Her father would choose a suitor for her.

"Me neither," Serendine sighed. "Boys are dumb. All I need is a good friend like you." Smiling warmly, the older princess took Thalia's hand.

"Me too," Thalia affirmed, surrounded by Serendine's calming rose scent. "All I need is someone like you."

* * *

"I hate roses," Thalia snapped, more harshly than she'd intended to. The maid flinched, putting the lid back on the container. "Sorry." Thalia concentrated on keeping her voice steady. "The smell just brings back bad memories. What about vanilla? Do we have that?"

The maid nodded and pulled out a yellow vial. She handed it to Thalia, who applied it to her skin.

Next, Thalia opened a small container and inspected the black powder inside. It was khol. She had worn it whenever she performed back in her days on Ria Venus Island, but she had no idea how to apply it. That part was something Dinarzade had always done for her. Anything beyond basic hygiene had always been Dinarzade's domain.

"Um…" Thalia held up the powder meekly, suddenly glad the maids had refused to leave. "Could you help me?"

The two women nodded eagerly. One wove her hair into a beautiful braid, while the other applied cosmetics— khol around her eyes and rouge on her lips and cheeks. They finished by adorning her body with gold ornaments: a chunky gold necklace around her neck, a chain around her waist, a headdress over her freshly plaited hair, at least one bangle for every limb.

"Oh my…" The short woman dug in one of the baskets until she pulled out a bronze mirror, holding it for Thalia to see their finished handiwork. "You look just like a princess."

Thalia smiled into the mirror. "I do, don't I?"

She turned her attention to the two maids, thanking them and offering to return the gifts she wasn't wearing. The two women refused, claiming they had been given specific instructions to be sure Thalia received them. Then, they left Thalia alone with her baskets and her mirror.

Inspecting her face once again, Thalia lightly touched the golden tassels framing her face. She certainly looked refined, although as an Attican princess, she would never have been caught showing her legs, much less her sides. She smiled gently at her reflection, reassuring herself that it was okay to look like this. She was dressed modestly by Heliohapt standards, and no one from Attica would ever know.

Her heart skipped a beat as she realized she was about to do something incredibly improper. She was about to go on a date dressed like this. She used to hate showing skin, but now that it was her choice…

…it was exhilarating.

Her heart hammering in her chest, Thalia slinked out into the hallway, glancing around furtively. Luckily, no one was there. If no one saw her, she wouldn't have to answer any questions. No one would see her like this, and they wouldn't be able to look down on her for it. They wouldn't know about this part of her, the part that had clawing at her consciousness all day. It was the part that wanted to push her boundaries, explore new experiences… particularly ones with boys, it seemed.

It was an innocent, fun date. She could handle that.

She let out a sigh and began to walk away when, from behind her, she heard the door to the room next to her open. She froze, caught in a trap. Now, what did she do? Run? No, that was even more suspicious. Maybe if she kept walking, whichever of her friends this was wouldn't recognize her. Thalia resolved to do that, taking the first step forward.

Then, a hand landed on her shoulder, a voice purring in her ear. "What is a beautiful woman like you doing all by yourself?"

Shit. Sinbad had caught her. Cringing, Thalia turned around wearing a guilty smile.

"Thalia?" He stumbled backward, eyes widening. His mouth hung open, as though he couldn't believe the girl in front of him was real.

"Sin," she greeted him begrudgingly.

"Why are you dressed like that?" He had regained his composure, but his amber eyes took on a dangerous gleam. She'd seen this look once before, back when she was still adjusting to her new life at the Sindria company. She used to believe she'd imagined it, but now that he was looking at her the same way, she was positive it had happened before. Back then, it had struck fear into her. It spoke of a desire that terrified her. This time, her blood spiked, but not with fear, exactly. This feeling was something new entirely.

"I have a date tonight," she responded honestly, clenching the skirt of her dress. His eyes felt like they were burning into her bare flesh. No, burning wasn't the word she was looking for. Burning was painful. Whatever she was feeling was strangely pleasant. She wanted him to look.

"A date?" he muttered, taking a step closer. "with who?"

"It's really not your business."

"It is." He took two steps forward and moved as if to place his hand on her waist. Before he made contact, he stopped himself, confliction writing itself on his face. "I have to protect my employees." He was close enough that she could feel his breath.

Her eyes trained themselves on his hand, inches away from her exposed flesh. He wasn't touching her, but she could still feel its heat. He was so close, and she thought if he so much as brushed against her, she would melt. Her breath hitched and she willed away images of the two of them alone together, limbs tangled, her fingernails digging into his back, their lips pressed together.

She took a step back, shocked by the boldness of her own imagination. She didn't think those kinds of thoughts, especially not about Sinbad. She wasn't that kind of girl. She wasn't—

"Sinbad? Thalia?" Hinahoho's voice broke the tension between them. He seemed to be taking stock of the situation. Sinbad's hand was still reaching out toward her. She took advantage of the distraction and escaped, not stopping until she reached the exit.

Outside the inn, she leaned against the wall, heart pounding and breathing heavy. What would have happened if Hinahoho hadn't interrupted them? Would Sinbad have touched her? Would she have let him?

She clutched her sides protectively. Was it okay to let someone touch her? Was it okay to want it? A fundamental shift was taking place in the way she saw herself and the people around her. She hadn't run because she was afraid. She had run because she wasn't. That lack of fear was more terrifying than anything else she had experienced on this trip because it meant she was letting her guard down. Her friends had been patiently chiseling her walls into a state of disrepair for months, and now those walls were crumbling. Soon, she would be defenseless.

Any one of the people she came across in day to day life could be another Serendine or Marcus. Her fear kept her on edge. It kept her prepared. Without it, couldn't someone hurt her again?

* * *

Sinbad stared at his own traitorous hand, still reaching out for Thalia. She'd backed away from him, eyes wide and breathing erratic. There was no other way to interpret it: he'd frightened her.

He wasn't sure what had come over him. He knew what kinds of touches he could get away with when it came to her: platonic ones. He'd lost his composure. He'd tried to touch her like she was some other girl, but she wasn't some other girl. She was Thalia— his best friend, the girl he'd sworn to himself he wouldn't pursue.

Now she was gone. On a date with someone else. Looking like that. She was always beautiful, but he'd never seen so much of her. She had legs. He'd always assumed she had legs, but now he'd seen the visual evidence for himself. The rest of her, too, had been enticing beyond his wildest dreams. He'd never seen her lips so red or her skin so radiant. This whole time, she'd never put an effort toward her appearance for his sake, but this other guy…

"You didn't do anything to Thalia, did you?" Hinahoho came up behind Sinbad, resting a giant hand on his shoulder.

Burning with shame, Sinbad brought his hand back to his side.

"I— no, I didn't touch her. You know I don't think about her that way."

Except he had just now. He'd wanted to touch her so badly. He'd stopped himself. It hadn't been enough.

Hinahoho let out a skeptical noise. "You know she can be a bit jumpy," he reminded Sinbad.

Of course he knew. He knew that better than anyone. She was like a deer, ready to take flight at any possible threat. Still, he'd tried to get too close. Even though he knew better.

"Thanks, Hinahoho."

Sinbad wandered out of the hotel glumly, cursing himself for losing his self-control. He allowed himself to indulge in many things: alcohol, revelry, women— but Thalia was off-limits. He'd failed her and broken her trust. Would she ever look at him the same way? He remembered how intimate they used to be, how forcefully she'd pushed him away after she'd been raped, how long it had taken for him to earn even a fraction of her trust back. He'd thrown all their progress away with a single hand.

Pacing the streets of Heliohapt, he wandered until he found what he was looking for: the red light district. Last time he'd been with another woman, he'd been so clear-headed afterward. Maybe tonight, again, a little drinking and a pretty girl would allow him some clarity.

* * *

Thalia sat across from Narmes at his home near the palace. The building was a testament to how much power he enjoyed as the king's consul. It was large, elaborately carved sandstone pillars holding up a beautifully decorated ceiling. Potted ferns and other plants lined the walls, and a brazier hung from the ceiling, illuminating the place with a warm glow. In front of Thalia was a dish of lentils and fresh greens.

Thalia picked at her food instead of eating. On her mind were the usual things— her family, her kingdom— but today she had yet another thing to add to that list: her best friend.

"Is everything to your liking?"

Thalia turned her gaze to date on the other side of the stone table. He had already finished his food and was now watching her with a concerned frown.

"It's wonderful, Narmes. I'm just not hungry today is all." She gave him a reassuring smile, but her answer only seemed to further his distress.

"You don't like the food, do you?" He hurried over to her side, taking her plate. "Of course, you traveled all this way to a strange country, everything's so new… why wouldn't you want something that reminded you of home? What do you usually eat? I'll tell my chef—"

"Narmes." Thalia interrupted his nervous rambling, standing and gently taking her plate back from him before setting it down on the table. "The food is fine. Everything is fine. I'm just excited to be here with you."

He scratched his chin shyly. "You are? I mean— of course you are." His demeanor swiftly changed. He took her hand and kissed it, his voice becoming low and seductive. "Since you're so excited, would you rather skip to the other activities I have planned?"

"Oh, activities? Like games?" Thalia assumed he meant the sexual kind, but she played dumb, hoping he would take the hint that she wasn't interested in those kinds of activities. At least, not with him. She flushed, remembering that less than an hour earlier, she'd been imagining herself with someone else— maybe not to the extent Narmes was thinking, but certainly past the line where she was willing to go with him.

Narmes misinterpreted her reaction, and it spurred him on. He placed a hand on the small of her back and spoke softly into her ear. "We can play games if you want to. I know a few."

His breath tickled her ear, and she felt faint echoes of the feeling that had overpowered her earlier that day. She ignored it. She wasn't ready to explore this part of herself yet.

"I'm sorry, Narmes. I'm afraid I'm not interested in the kinds of games you're wanting to play." A small part of her was on edge, afraid that words would not be enough to stop him. Her concern proved to be unfounded.

Looking contrite, he immediately gave her some space.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "Seems like I misinterpreted the mood. Thanks for being straight with me. I do have other kinds of games we can play."

He led her to a table set up with a board that looked much like the chess boards she was familiar with. "This is called Senet. Do you know how to play?"

She shook her head.

He spent the next few minutes explaining the rules. They played several rounds, and despite losing almost every time, she did have a lot of fun. The one time she did win, Narmes was even happier than she was, showering her with praise. She felt good, basking in his kind words like a cat in the sunlight.

When the night fell, the air grew chilly. Thalia dreaded walking back to the inn in her skimpy clothing, but Narmes had already considered that. "I have one more gift for you," he told her. He reached into a trunk and withdrew a beautiful teal shawl.

Instead of making her happy, she just felt further indebted to this man. Then a horrifying thought struck her. What if that was what he wanted? What if he was just treating her to all these things so that she felt like she owed him. What if this was all some ploy to guilt her into sleeping with him?

When he tried to give her the shawl, she handed it back. "Narmes, I can't accept all these gifts. It's not right."

He gave her a puzzled smile. "Of course you can. I gave them to you because I wanted to. What's not right about that?"

"I can't repay you for these gifts. I don't even know if I'll see you again when I leave." She pointed to the gold bangle on her left wrist that must have cost an entire year's salary for her.

He waved off her concerns and wrapped the shawl around her. "I don't expect anything in return. If I never see you again, it's fine. I wouldn't give you anything I couldn't afford to. Plus, it's not like you're the only one getting gifts tonight. I got to go on an amazing date with a beautiful girl who was clever enough to beat me at Senet within her first few games." He winked. "Now, let's get you back to the hotel."

Thalia refused to move. "Even if I accept your gifts, a can't take them back with me. You know that, right?"

"It's fine," He put a hand on her shoulders, gently guiding her forward. "Once the trade deal goes through, I'll send them to you on the first shipment out. Just leave them in your room when you leave. I'll have someone collect them."

She found it hard to believe this man was real. He had been genuinely kind without expecting anything in return all night. As a slave, she hadn't experienced anything like this. Well, she'd thought she had. She felt a pang of regret, remembering how kind Marcus had been to her before…

Before he had done that.

But Narmes wasn't Marcus, she reminded herself. He had stopped when she'd said no. She pushed the thoughts of that awful man aside, choosing instead to focus on the sweet one beside her.

"I really can't tell you how much I needed a night like this," she told Narmes, once again thanking him profusely.

Her words put a triumphant grin on his face, and she was glad to see him feel as good about himself as he'd made her feel.

Outside the inn, they stood in the dark, the only light from the stars and a torch illuminating the entrance. They both shifted their weight back and forth nervously, unsure how to navigate this farewell.

They started to say something at the same time and interrupted each other, laughing awkwardly. Another long silence stretched between them. Finally, Narmes cupped her chin with his hand and broke the silence. "Can I kiss you?"

Thalia thought about his request for a moment before deciding. "Only on the cheek."

He leaned in, pressing his soft lips to her cheek, and she returned the favor. His skin was thicker than hers, soft and warm. She couldn't help but smile when he pulled back several shades darker. She was starting to suspect he was about as experienced with dating as she was.

"Well, then," he squeaked before clearing his throat and continuing in his normal voice. "See you again tomorrow, Thalia?"

"I hope so," she responded.

Narmes waved goodbye, and like that, he was gone.

* * *

Sinbad stumbled back to the inn, drunk and miserable. The women in the red light district were beautiful, but tonight even they could not distract him from his bad mood. In fact, he'd barely paid attention to them. His mind was so occupied with Thalia and her mystery date, what they might be doing, whether or not he was treating her well. It didn't help that despite the numbness the alcohol provided him, he shivered in the cold. At least he was close. He could see the lit-up entrance from here, and two silhouettes hovering in front of it. One of them was very familiar.

He hid behind a large potted fern and glowered at the couple. What were they doing? Just standing there? He growled as the man lifted his hand to Thalia's cheek. Sinbad expected her to shy away, but she didn't. Instead, the man leaned in and kissed her, and she kissed him back. He blinked, his vision distorted from the alcohol he'd consumed. Had he seen correctly? Could it be that it wasn't romance she was afraid of, but him?

The man was gone, and she was standing there staring after him. Sinbad charged at her, deciding he would confront her.

"Who was that?" he demanded. He worried it came out more aggressively than he'd meant, and his fears were confirmed when she flinched.

"You're drunk." She folded her arms in front of her chest. "I'm not going to talk to you like this."

"Am not." Sinbad swayed a little as he slurred his denial. He wasn't fooling anyone tonight.

Thalia raised an eyebrow and sniffed. "You reek of alcohol. And perfume." With a resigned sigh, she put his arm around her shoulder to support his unsteady weight. "Let's get you to your room."

As they were walking, he noticed she was wearing a shawl he'd never seen before. She never wore colors, only plain white everything. It was nice to see her in something bright for a change.

"Where'd you get that?" he mumbled. "It looks great on you."

She didn't say anything in return, but he thought he saw the ghost of a smile play at her lips. When they stopped walking, Sinbad realized they were in front of his room. He waited for Thalia to open the door, but she just stood there with her hand out.

Finally, she grunted, "Key."

"What?" Why wasn't she opening the door?

"Where's the key to your room?" She squinted as though she were supporting something heavy.

"It's in my pocket." Where else would it be? Why wasn't she opening the door?

She sighed again, frustrated this time. "Which pocket?"

"The left."

"Whoa, hey!" Thalia's hand plunged into his pocket, feeling around for something. He had to hold back a groan as she brushed against his upper thigh through the fabric. This was the touch he'd been craving all night. It was her touch. He wanted to grab her and kiss her, but all the drink in the world could not make him forget her reaction earlier, how he'd scared her away.

She withdrew the key, unlocking the door— that's right, he did lock the door— and ushering him inside. After walking him to his bed, she helped him sit on the edge. The room was spinning, but Sinbad sat up straight.

"Wait here," Thalia instructed him. He watched her curiously as she lit a candle and set about opening and closing drawers, looking for something. Did she realize how exposed her sides were? He was positive he could see more than she wanted him to as she leaned forward, the fabric of the tunic falling away from her breasts. If it were anyone else, he would have ogled. Since it was Thalia, he looked away.

"Ah, here it is," She held up a robe. "Put this on. I'll wait outside."

Sinbad slipped out of his clothing, stumbling to get his pants off, and put on the robe. It took a few tries and all his concentration to tie the knot, but eventually, he managed something functional. He opened the door to find her waiting. Her dark eyes firmly fixed on his face, Thalia helped him into bed, tucking him under the blanket.

"Don't go," he pleaded, his tongue loose from the alcohol.

"Sinbad, it's late." Despite her protests, she sat down on the side of his bed. He sat up too.

After a period of silence, he felt sufficiently sober to speak. "I just want to protect you. I know men. I know the way they think."

"You know the way you think, Sin. Not all men are you."

He smiled ruefully. "You must think I'm a pig."

She thought for a moment before giving a wry response. "Pigs are pretty intelligent creatures, you know."

He grabbed her delicate wrist and pulled her against his chest. Her breathing hitched, and her eyes widened. She pushed against him, trying to get away. He let her go, disappointment filling his chest. He didn't know what he'd been hoping for. He knew better than to think she'd react any differently.

"You're afraid of me." It wasn't an accusation, just an observation.

"That's not…" she trailed off. She couldn't deny it because it was true, he thought. Nothing he did or didn't do was ever going to change that.

"Do I remind you of what happened?" He didn't have to elaborate. She knew perfectly well he was referring to the rape.

"Why would you even think that?"

"You let that man touch you tonight. You never let me touch you like that."

"We're friends. Friends don't touch each other like that."

He was silent.

"Are you afraid if I start dating someone, it will threaten our friendship?"

He nodded. In truth, even he didn't understand why he was behaving so erratically tonight. No, he did. He just refused to acknowledge it.

She leaned against his chest on her own this time. Though he wanted to embrace her, he kept his hands to himself, afraid of scaring her again.

"You'll always be my best friend. No one can change that. I promise."

Her words stung more than he would have expected after all this time. He reminded himself she was like a sister to him. That was all. He had no reason to want to change their friendship. And yet...

He looked down at Thalia, now sound asleep on his chest. Wrapping his arms around her, he lowered the two of them down to the bed and stared at the ceiling. The first time he'd seen her on Ria Venus Island, he'd thought she was Lady Maader at first. After all, Lady Maader was the one who usually let him out of the torture chamber. Thalia had rebuked him harshly for that mistake, he recalled. He'd been too weak to ask questions at the time, but he'd soon realized that she was risking her safety to help him.

Over those weeks in the punishment room, he came to associate Thalia with safety and comfort. They didn't have many conversations then, but he'd watched her clean his wounds again and again, heard her curse the people who'd done this to him more fervently every time. Sometimes, she'd told him stories of gods, goddesses, and heroes. He had no idea where she'd gotten the strange tales at the time. Now he realized they were likely tales from her home country, but back then, he'd just been glad to listen to the sound of her gentle voice.

Despite Thalia's best efforts, Lady Maader had won him over. He'd tried so hard to please that woman. She wasn't like Thalia. Thalia accepted him in whatever state he was in. She never withheld affection or told him he needed to change. She'd just waited until he came to her.

Eventually, he did.

Masrur was the one to thank for that. He'd shown Sinbad that he'd thrown away his pride to please Lady Maader. Every plan Sinbad had come up with to escape would have involved casualties among the children. He wasn't sure if he could take his power back without dirtying his hands, but the memories of Thalia's gentle defiance gave him hope.

He wasn't naive. He'd known she wouldn't risk her safety to help him for no reason. He'd known she wanted something from him.

So he approached her, this strange, patient girl, to see what she could offer him. Little did he know, she already had a solution to his moral conundrum.

They'd escaped that horrible place, but neither of them had really escaped, had they? Sometimes during the day, he'd forget where he was for a moment and frantically search for her. If she was there, he knew he was safe. If not, he would go find her to still his racing heart. He would tease her, distract her, come up with excuses to stay around her for a while. At night, he still sometimes woke up in a cold sweat from dreams where he was back in that chamber, screws being driven into his skin, nails being pried from their beds. Those times were the worst because she wasn't there. He'd have to calm down on his own, but that could take hours. It would have been better if he could always sleep with her like this.

He felt like he was losing himself. He'd always been able to see the flow of destiny, but since he'd become close with Thalia, everything had become murky. His decision to bring her had felt right at the time, but it had almost gotten her killed during the bandit attack. He'd always been able to trust his gut before. What had changed?

Since Ria Venus Island, his inner compass had been broken. Sometimes, when navigating at sea, a geological formation might throw off the magnetic field, leading sailors away from their true course. Thalia had become such a colossal force to him, her magnetic pull had skewed his inner compass, leading him further and further from his destination. He needed to reorient himself. His dream of founding a country had to come first.


	20. Serendine Dikumenowlz Du Parthevia

**Serendine Dikumenowlz Du Parthevia**

* * *

"You're afraid of me."

 _I'm not though. I'm afraid of the way you make me feel._

 _Because you make me feel things I'm not ready to._

 _I want to tell you._

 _I want to explain._

 _I want to._

 _I can't._

"You never let me touch you like that."

 _Because I want you to._

 _Because he means nothing to me._

 _Because you mean everything to me._

Thalia awoke the next morning wrapped in something warm and heavy. Mewling with pleasure, she stretched and opened her eyes. It had been a rare dreamless night, and for the first time in ages, she was well-rested.

Drinking in her surroundings, she looked around. This was not her room. It was better decorated, bigger. Sinbad's rucksack sat on top of the dresser, his clothing spilling onto its cedar surface. Through the window, the morning sun shone brightly, making everything seem soft, surreal.

Someone next to her let out a soft groan, and suddenly her warm wrappings were pulling her against a broad chest. Now, someone's breath was brushing against her ear, and Thalia's heart rate spiked. Why was she in a man's bed? Why were Sinbad's things in here? She blinked, the events of the previous night coming back to her. Narmes had taken her home. Sinbad had been drunk and overprotective, and she had helped him to his room and sat with him for a bit while he sobered up. She must have fallen asleep in here.

Gently, she untangled herself from his limbs, sitting up and studying his sleeping face. It was so sweet, so serene. She'd never seen him like this, his guard completely down. In his waking hours, he was reckless and fun-loving, but he was never vulnerable, not truly. He kept secrets from her, his reason for bringing her to Balbadd and then to the Dark Continent.

Thalia brought her hand up to his face, cupping his cheek and tenderly stroking it with her thumb. He sighed, his breath still reeking of alcohol.

"You've got to stop drinking so much," she muttered under her breath. "I'm not babying you next time."

"Mm." He rolled onto his back, his arm spread out to the side, further loosening his sloppily-tied robe.

Thalia's breath caught in her throat, her heart thudding in her ribcage. She could see his chest, taught muscle under smooth, bronzed skin. She had seen it before, both in the punishment room and on their journey here, but now, she was seized with the urge to run her hands over his abdomen, feel the ridges beneath her fingers.

There was that fluttering again, this time urgent and demanding. Thalia needed to touch him, to kiss him— anything to appease this newfound hunger. She just wanted to know what it was like. Her shameful curiosity could be put to rest if she just gave in to temptation. He was asleep. No one ever needed to know.

 _What am I thinking?_ Thalia scrambled out of the bed, tumbling to the floor. Of course she couldn't touch him. First of all, feeling up a sleeping person would be creepy as hell. It would be a massive breach of trust. Even if he never found out, that couldn't possibly make what she had thought about doing okay.

The sound of her ragged breathing filled the quiet room. Why was she suddenly having these feelings? How could she after what had happened with Marcus?

Maybe, just as Ja'far had said it would, time was healing her, but what if she wasn't ready for that? She didn't even feel like she was allowed to move on with her life. She felt as though if she could move on so soon, it meant all the pain she had felt up to this point hadn't been real. Had her previous behavior been nothing but melodramatics?

She lifted herself off the floor, trembling with self-loathing. Whatever was going on, she couldn't accept this part of herself. It went against everything she'd been raised to believe. She had a duty to her country to remain virtuous and unspoiled. She couldn't change what had already happened regarding Marcus, but her newfound desire for Sinbad was within her power. Moving forward, she needed to remain chaste and virtuous, someone the citizens of Attica would be willing to follow.

Quietly, she slipped out of the room, refusing to look back.

"Thalia," Ja'far had apparently been on his way to Sinbad's room and caught her sneaking out. He took in her disheveled appearance with confusion that quickly dissolved into anger. "Where were you last night? That boy from yesterday suddenly dropped dead while a few of us were talking to him. I tried to report it to Sin, but the two of you were gone."

Thalia reeled at the news, bringing a hand to her forehead. Their tour guide had been so bright and lively yesterday, and now he was…

Yesterday's argument with the former king's faction flashed through her head— the discussion of young people mysteriously dropping dead, the deadly gleam in Gafra's eye.

"It was poison, wasn't it?" She asked quietly.

"Venom, technically," Ja'far corrected her. "It's funny. Serendine could tell it was foul play right away too. I guess you princesses are naturally suspicious."

"Serendine?" Thalia blanched, the mention of the name shaking her to her core. How could Serendine have made such a judgment from back in Reim? How was this even possible? Unless…

"She's here." Ja'far leaned over, looking at the door Thalia had just closed behind her. "That's another reason I was looking for Sin."

Thalia scratched her messy hair abashedly, stepping to the side. "Well, he's in there, but he's still asleep."

Sighing heavily, Ja'far marched past her. "I'll go wake him up. You go clean yourself up. You look ridiculous."

Thalia nodded, watching him enter Sinbad's room before stumbling back to her own, using the wall for support. When she reached her door, she fumbled with the key. Her shaking hands struggled to fit the metal object into the lock, leaving behind minor scratch marks. Twice, she dropped the small brass key and had to pick it up. When she finally succeeded in unlocking her door, she slipped into her room quietly, sinking into the stool in front of her vanity after throwing on one of the clean frocks in her bag.t

That kind boy, the one she'd believed to be so earnest, had died. Serendine was here. Thalia wasn't sure which revelation had shaken her more.

As her trembling hands ran a comb through her hair, she gazed absentmindedly at the baskets the maids had left on the dresser yesterday. Out of the dozens of colored glass bottles, one caught her eye. It was the pink one from yesterday, the one that smelled so strongly of Serendine.

Setting the comb down, she lifted it out of the basket, holding it up to inspect it. It was the same vile shade as the dress Marcus had ripped off her, the same color as Serendine's hair. Thalia hated this color. She hated Serendine Dikumenowlz Du Parthevia. The image of the Parthevian princess, covered in blood and standing over the corpses of Thalia's family, flashed into her mind.

Her shaking hands lost hold of the glass container, and it fell to the floor with a crash. Now there was no escape from Serendine. The scent of roses exploded into the air, bringing more memories unbidden to her mind— Serendine's smile, her laugh, her bravery… Thalia had admired Serendine so much, and she'd been betrayed.

She stared at the broken shards of pink glass littering the floor in horror. What had she done? Scrambling to her knees, she picked up the glass shards, trying to piece them back together. This hadn't been what she wanted. She hadn't wanted to break it, only to loathe it. How could she hate this broken thing? With nothing to hold the pieces together, there was no salvaging the bottle. Thalia lifted herself back off the floor, hands drenched with rose oil, and stared at her face in the mirror, smudged makeup from last night streaking down her cheeks.

She couldn't pretend anymore. Even now, she loved the scent of roses.

"Why? Why why _why?_ " Holding her head with her hands, she muttered under her breath. "Why did you do it, Serendine? I trusted you! Did you want to make your family happy? Didn't I mean anything to you?" She stood up, slamming her oily hands on the vanity. "Why?"

As she rambled, her stomach twisted into a sickening knot. Did the why even matter? Why should she mourn the loss of the friendship of a woman who had murdered her family? Smoothing her face into a calm mask, she smiled into the mirror. Then, with slow, controlled movements, she removed all the bangles and other finery and washed her face and hands with water from the basin. She was fine. Everything was fine.

When the knock came on her door, she was prepared. She opened the door with a serene smile. On the other side stood Sinbad, his expression grim.

"Oh, good, you're dressed." He sniffed, his frown deepening. Pushing her to the side, he furrowed his eyebrows, his eyes locked on the broken bottle on the floor. "Thalia, what happened here?"

"I dropped a bottle. It made a bit of a mess, huh?" She forced a soft giggle.

"You dropped it?" His eyes drifted down to her trembling hands, and he took them in his own. "I'm sorry things turned out like this. You must be terrified, but I promise no one is going to hurt you. We're going to get to the bottom of that boy's death. Until then, I'm keeping you close by my side, do you understand?"

she gave him her most convincing fake smile, grateful to him for providing her with a convenient cover for her current state.

"I understand." Thalia let out a cough, the stench still invading her lungs. "Let's talk outside, shall we? It reeks in here."

Even in his dark mood, he chuckled. "You're right. We need to meet with the others anyway." He grabbed her hand and began to lead her out of her room.

"The others?" Thalia stumbled along behind him. He stopped to let her lock the door behind them, folding his arms over his chest.

"They're going to fill us in on the circumstances surrounding that boy's death. We're going to figure out how this 'curse' operates."

"There's no such thing as a curse," Thalia snapped. She didn't believe in curses. She _couldn't_ believe in curses; otherwise, she would have to admit the things her father had said about her were possible: that she was unnatural, that something was wrong with her, that Attica's fall had been her fault.

If Sinbad noticed the undue hostility in her voice, he said nothing.

They walked until they reached the door to the lounge. When Thalia caught sight of a head of disgustingly pink hair, she hesitated to cross the threshold, breaking out into a cold sweat. Seeing Serendine now, after the ordeal with the scented oil, was too much. Thalia wasn't ready.

It was too late. Serendine had spotted them, and her rosen eyes rested coolly on Thalia. Weak and emotionally exhausted, Thalia flinched, casting her eyes to the ground. Her cheeks burned in shame for showing weakness to her enemy.

"Oh, good. You're finally here," Serendine said.

"Hello, Serendine." Thalia's voice came out strangled.

"Hey, are you okay?" Turning to Thalia, Hinahoho raised an eyebrow. "You're not catching a cold, are you?"

"I'm fine. This whole business with that boy is just so tragic, don't you agree?" She genuinely was upset at his death, but it also provided her with a convenient cover for her strange reaction to Serendine.

"Why don't you fill me in on what happened." Sinbad turned to Ja'far.

"Right, well." Ja'far scratched his temple. "Yesterday, we were down here talking to the tour guide. We were just saying goodbye, and I walked over to shake his hand. As soon as I touched him, he just dropped to the floor. His heart had stopped beating. That's where Serendine came in."

Serendine stepped forward.

"I inspected the body and found a small puncture wound where the venom would have been injected. Judging by the speed at which his body temperature dropped and rigor mortis set in, I deduced that the substance used would have been one that affects the heart. There is concoction made of rare ingredients that can cause death without any visible symptoms leading up to it. The police were called, and, after I explained the situation, we were cleared of any suspicion."

Gritting her teeth, Thalia hung her head. She didn't know about poisons and venom. Those were a murderer's trade. However, Serendine had just provided useful information when all Thalia had was a gut suspicion.

"It sounds like you seriously helped us out." Sinbad nodded approvingly. "Thank you, Seren. Now that we have that settled, do you want to explain what you and your maids are doing here?

"I was the one who wanted to come here," Serendine bluntly informed him.

Ja'far gaped at her in horror. "Why would you do something so dangerous?"

Serendine remained resolute, as stalwart as any man. "I am a soldier formerly known as the Venomous Spider Princess, after all."

Thalia drew in a sharp breath at the sound of the name. This confirmed what she had overheard those two women say all those years ago. Right in front of her victim, Serendine had as good as admitted she had killed Thalia's family, and in such a casual tone. There was no more room for doubt or questions. Thalia needed to accept that Serendine had never cared about her and never would. Serendine was vile, absolutely vile. For years, she must have used Thalia, pretending to be her friend. This heartless monster's only goal had been to lead Thalia astray, win her trust only to betray her.

Serendine continued, either oblivious or indifferent to her admission. "I can fight my own battles and take care of myself. I won't be a burden to you."

Thalia remembered how the others had struggled to protect her during the bandit fight, how she had endangered them by being so weak.

"I want to become a source of strength to you too!" Serendine insisted forcefully, her hand resting on her ample bosom. "I can't just sit around and wait anymore!"

Something broke inside Thalia. The buzzing anger swarming inside her dulled to a quiet hum as another feeling swelled within her: inadequacy. How could someone so vile still be so radiant? Serendine was a mighty warrior with an iron will, and Thalia was just a kitten who'd been adopted into a pride of lions. There was nothing special about her. She wasn't powerful, nor was she a warrior, nor was she particularly strong-willed. Nasha's words echoed in her head once again.

 _"You know you don't belong on this ship."_

"Let me join you on your journey," Serendine concluded. Her request drew Thalia out of the numb place she had entered and back into the fires of fury. Of course Serendine couldn't come along. There was no way Sinbad would let a murderer around Thalia. Hadn't he said he would protect her?

"Fine."

As Sinbad turned his gentle smile toward Thalia's greatest foe, she bit back angry curses.

Of course, she couldn't blame him. His decision made sense, given what he knew. He thought Thalia and Serendine's differences were merely political, and he believed the two were mature enough to work alongside one another despite that.

He had no idea.

Forcing a smile, Thalia lowered her head politely to her fellow princess. "I look forward to working with you."

"Yes, it will be an honor," Serendine responded levelly, keeping her regal posture. Thalia was certain there was an implied "for you."

Once they had arrived at the palace, Narmes came to greet them. Thalia tried to block out the unpleasantness of Serendine's presence and focused instead on him, giving a warm smile. He returned it expectantly.

"What brings you all back so soon?" he asked, his eyes trained on Thalia, as though the question were meant for her alone.

The first to respond was Sinbad. "We experienced this 'curse' first hand. The boy who showed us around yesterday was murdered. Serendine here is familiar with poisons and was able to identify the one most likely used."

Narmes's smile fell, his eyebrows furrowing deeply. "I see. This is serious. His majesty is also worried about these cases. We'll move you to another inn immediately."

"You know, don't you?" Sinbad stepped forward, his arms crossed defensively over his chest. "That this isn't a curse, but murder?"

Thalia quickly inserted herself between them. She knew nobility, and she knew their mindset. She also liked to think that she knew Narmes if only a little. Whatever Sinbad's suspicions were, they were unfounded.

"Of course he knows. He can't act without evidence, so it's best not to throw around accusations." She looked back toward Narmes. "Isn't that right?"

Narmes closed his eyes, a pained look crossing his face.

"Why are you defending him?" Ja'far hissed. "This whole thing is suspicious. He could be the culprit."

Shaking her head, Thalia stood firm. "He's not. I know he's not."

From behind, a large hand landed softly on her shoulder, and she turned to see Narmes flashing her a contrite smile.

"Thank you for believing in me." He took a deep breath and continued. "Since you are all involved, I'll tell you the truth. A few months ago, the former king passed away. Because Prince Sharrkan, Prince Armakan's younger half brother, was only nine, he was not enthroned despite being the first in line. Soon after, Armakan's mother, the second queen, was murdered in the same fashion as the recent attacks. Other supporters of our King Armakan were picked off one by one in this same manner."

Slowly, Thalia spun around to face this loyal man who was so brave, braver than she'd ever imagined. Supporters of King Armakan were being murdered in cold blood. Yet, despite the dangers, Narmes remained vocally by his side.

Emerald eyes cast to the ground, Narmes continued. "The royal vizier soon started preaching that the former king's spirit had been angered by our opening of the borders. He claimed that the deaths were caused by a curse and that King Armakan must be replaced by young Prince Sharrkan. We quickly put together that someone in the former king's faction was the one doing the killings. If we let things continue like this, our country will continue to experience turmoil..."

"That's enough, Narmes."

At the sound of King Armakan's voice, Thalia quickly swept into a curtsy.

"We've caused you travelers enough trouble," The king continued. "There's no reason to drag you further into our country's problems. It would be better if you left immediately."

Thalia's grip on her skirt tightened. When she took back Attica, she would need allies. If she helped this young king now, he might be willing to provide soldiers to her later.

"King Armakan, I cannot speak for my friends, but my country of Attica once enjoyed extensive trade relations with Heliohapt. It is because of our shared history that I feel compelled to assist you in any way I can."

Armakan stroked his false beard thoughtfully. "Attica… I do recall reading about such relations in our historical documents. However, you have no obligation to Heliohapt now. I'll arrange for a guard to assist you out of the country."

Thalia blinked away stinging tears. Her first attempt to negotiate on behalf of her country had been rejected without a second thought. If she pressed the matter, she risked offending him and earning his hostility. What was she supposed to do?

"Furthermore," the king continued, "I will go to the royal family tomb tomorrow."

"Your Highness!" Narmes's posture went rigid, his breaths becoming shaky." You mustn't go! It's too dangerous!"

"It is the only way."

Thalia watched this exchange curiously. What was in the tomb that could frighten these two brave men who so valiantly faced the risk of assassination daily?

Narmes stepped forward, his fist clenched bravely. "Then I'll go with you!"

Approaching Narmes, she rested her hand on his arm. "Is it _that_ dangerous?"

His glistening eyes turning to her, he covered her hand with his own. "Ever since it transformed into some strange structure, no one has come out alive. But don't worry, I'll definitely—"

"Tell us more about that structure," Sinbad interrupted. Thalia noted a hardness in his eyes, which were locked on her and Narmes's somewhat intimate interaction. Suddenly cowed, she quickly withdrew her hand, pressing it to one of her burning cheeks. Why did she feel guilty?

"The royal tomb is where the former king would have inscribed who he willed to be his successor. However, since that mysterious structure popped up, the tomb melded into it. If we were able to hold the former king's internment, then the issue of our king's legitimacy would be resolved," Narmes explained.

"And the former king's faction is using this uncertainty to push for control of the throne?" Ja'far surmised.

Narmes gestured to his two other companions. "We believe Lord Armakan is our king. If only that mysterious structure would disappear, we could prove it."

"Leave that building to us." Sinbad grabbed Thalia's wrist and guided her back to her place at his side. "It's undoubtedly a dungeon. Such structures are appearing all over the world. It's dangerous, but once we conquer it, the royal family tomb will return to its normal state."

"Hold on!" The vizier's voice rang throughout the hall, calling all attention to his faction's entrance. Thalia glowered at the three schemers as they shamelessly approached, showing no more remorse for their crimes than Serendine.

"How deplorable, Narmes!" the queen dowager lamented. "Making lies up about us scheming to poison people and pass it off as a curse… It seems no one is capable of running this country except for my son, Sharrkan! Please bring forth the true king!"

Several guards came forward carrying a child on a palanquin. He sat strangely regally for his age, as though he were putting on a performance. Thalia wondered if everything was as it appeared with this child, or if he was more like she had often been in the palace, playing a part to survive.

The spiteful woman continued. "Narmes, how dare you insult us by denying Lord Sharrkan his legitimate claim to the throne! You're an embarrassment of a consul."

The only thing embarrassing here was this plot to take the throne. How dare Patra insult Narmes? He had been nothing but a gentleman to Thalia and her friends.

Thalia spoke up in his defense. "Forgive my forwardness, Lady Patra, but at his age, your son will need an advisor to guide him in his decisions. Could it be that you intend to fill that role…?"

"What are you implying?" The queen dowager feigned offense, narrowing her eyes.

"I'm only thinking that whoever acts as this child's advisor will have an inordinate amount of power. I don't mean to imply any wrongdoing."

Of course she meant to imply wrongdoing.

Narmes came out and directly said what Thalia had been intimating. "You're taking advantage of the fact that we can't enter the royal tomb for our formal investiture and aiming to take control of the throne, aren't you?"

The vizier sneered, raising his chin contemptuously. "Hmmph. With such uncertainty surrounding the throne, you sure seem to think you know everything. That's only further proof that our Lord Sharrkan is meant to inherit the throne."

"Gafra!" Pushed to his limit, Narmes began to lunge at the deceased king's faction. Only King Armakan's outstretched hand stopped him. Convinced she had come close to witnessing a physical altercation, Thalia took a frightened step backward. Sinbad's hand, which remained around her wrist, squeezed as if to issue a reminder that he had promised to protect her.

Armakan remained unruffled, speaking regally. "I am the 36th king of Heliohapt. No matter what schemes you put in place, I will not waiver."

"Shut up, false king Armakan!" This speaker was the child on the palanquin. He looked down at the people around him contemptuously. "I am the one who should be seated on the throne. I was entrusted with the will of the former king, and as the one with the most direct line of succession, I am the one who should inherit the crown."

He was undoubtedly more composed than Thalia had been at his age. She would have been a trembling mess at the prospect of ruling a country. She still was.

"Besides," the child continued. "I saw it. The name carved into Father's sarcophagus was my own."

He explained that the stonemason that had carved his name had come to him to plead for his life. It was a clever story, but Thalia refused to buy it so quickly. This faction was filled with murderers and schemers. This poor child had probably been told what to say ahead of time.

Refusing to be outwitted, Thalia resolved to play their game by their own rules. "Even so, with the circumstances around the funeral rights, all we have is Lord Sharrkan's word. There will always be room for doubt, which can be used to rally opposition. Without the formal investiture, the stability of Lord Sharrkan's reign will be severely jeopardized." Thalia bowed deeply. "Empress consort, I am only thinking of the young lord's safety. Please allow my friends to prove what your son has said here today is true."

Thalia had expected hesitation. If Prince Sharrkan had been told to lie by his retainers, they should have been reluctant to agree. Instead, Patra's expression pulled into a smirk. Could the child be telling the truth?

It was the vizier who responded. "Very well. We will permit you to return the building to its normal state."

When the late king's faction had left, Narmes turned to her. "Thalia, you don't buy that farce, do you?"

Thalia shook her head. "Of course not. We no longer face any opposition, and once we're done, the interment can proceed as planned." She turned to King Armakan and bowed deeply once again. "I'm sorry for indulging them just now. I suspected them of lying and wanted to pressure them into letting us hold the investiture."

Armakan lifted his hand dismissively. "It's no matter. If you can get rid of that strange structure, we will be greatly indebted to you."

Sinbad wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her against his warm, hard body. "That was amazing, Thalia," he raved. "This is why I keep you around."

Blood rushed once again to Thalia's face, her heart swelling with pride at being praised by someone as great as Sinbad. She wasn't useless. For the first time on this trip, she believed she wasn't entirely unnecessary. She looked to Narmes, wanting to share with him this moment of happiness. His eyes were focused on her and Sinbad, one eyebrow raised quizzically. It was then Thalia realized how this embrace must look to him, and she quickly untangled herself from her best friend, not wanting Narmes to misunderstand.

"Come on, everyone." Sinbad turned to the rest of their friends, raising an encouraging fist. "We have a lot of preparations to take care of before entering the dungeon."

Thalia knew from Sinbad's stories that dungeons were dangerous. She wasn't silly enough to believe Sinbad's "everyone" had included her, so she stood unobtrusively to the side as Sinbad doled out responsibilities. When he got to her, she expected him to tell her to wait for him at the hotel. Instead, he said, "No matter what happens in there, stay close to me."

"Huh?"

Ja'far scowled. "Sin, she's not coming. She'll get us killed."

Thalia nodded, positioning herself next to the wise twelve-year-old. "I would just get in the way. I can just wait for you to get back from here, and it will be safer for everyone."

From behind her, the others made noises of agreement.

Sinbad's golden eyes, so bright with determination and excitement moments ago, darkened.

"Sin, she can't fight. She's a liability in a place like that, just like she was in the desert." Ja'far narrowed his eyes at her accusatorially, as if Sinbad's sudden lack of judgment was her fault.

Thalia anxiously stepped toward Sinbad. "I like spending time with you too, but this is serious. Someone could get hurt because of me."

"We'll all just fight harder to protect you, right everyone?" His prompt was met with mostly grumbles.

"Sin, can I talk to you alone?" Grabbing his arm, she dragged him to the far corner of the room. When she turned back to face him, she suddenly became aware of how very small she was compared to him, her eye level set firmly at his collarbone. Fighting back the urge to let his height intimidate her, she frowned up at him. He was Sinbad. She could talk to him about almost anything.

"You can be pigheaded, but you're not stupid. What's going on?"

Sinbad sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Look, you're safer with me in that dungeon than you'll ever be here. The former king's faction is killing people. What if they murder you next? Dungeon time doesn't work like normal time. It could be months before we get back. Who would protect you?"

Thalia clasped her hands behind her back innocently. "What about Narmes? He seems pretty dependable."

Sinbad's eyes narrowed. "You two seemed awfully close today. Is he the one you went on a date with?"

Heat rose once again to Thalia's face. "I hardly see how that's relevant to the situation at hand."

His eyes darkened again.

"No. You're definitely coming with me," he commanded. "Bringing you here was my idea. I have to take responsibility for protecting you. I won't leave your safety in the hands of someone you just met."

"Sin!" she called out after him as he returned to the rest of their group.

"Thalia is coming," he announced. "There's no other option."

He gave each of them a look as though he were daring them to argue. No one did. Thalia responded to their annoyed glares by smiling apologetically.

"I also have something I would like to talk to you about," a small voice said, grabbing their attention. Before Thalia and her friends stood Prince Sharrkan, his eyes cast humbly to the ground. It was a marked contrast to the persona he'd displayed earlier. "I'm grateful to you foreigners. Thanks to you, I was able to divert Mother's and Gafra's attention. In this palace, I'm always supervised by the two of them, so my ability to take action is limited, and my views are unable to be expressed freely."

He looked at Thalia, "As you suspected, my mother and Gafra cannot control my brother, so they seek to place me on the throne instead. What I said before about my name being in the sarcophagus and the mason being beheaded was a lie."

Serendine spoke, her voice grating on Thalia's nerves. "I thought it was strange. Why did you tell such a lie?"

"Because if I didn't, Mother and Gafra would never have let you near that mysterious structure."

Thalia smiled at the child's quick wit.

"It may be a mistake, asking foreign strangers for help, but please get rid of that 'dungeon.'"

"Prince Sharrkan," Ja'far addressed him worriedly. "Of course we intend to do so, but there's one thing… if your name isn't inscribed on that sarcophagus, it puts you in a tough situation, doesn't it?"

The boy lowered his eyes. "I know. I don't care if I'm hated… as long as I can return Heliohapt to the way it should be… that's my responsibility as a royal."

"Even if you're hated…" Serendine repeated his words wistfully. "Yes, that is the duty of a royal, is it not? To protect her country, no matter the cost… even if she wants something else."

The words stung Thalia, who had failed her country so spectacularly she had been the cause of its downfall. If she had been willing to make sacrifices the way this child and Serendine did, maybe…

She bent down to his eye-level, blinking back tears. "If I had half your sensibility at your age, my country would have been a lot better off. Heliohapt is lucky to have a thoughtful prince like you. We'll take care of the dungeon."

Sinbad leaned on her, eliciting a scowl from his brooding armrest. "Yeah. Leave it to us."

The child let a surprised laugh escape his lips. "Thank you, foreigners. You are quite interesting."


	21. Dungeon Zepar

The dungeon was outside the city walls, which meant that, once again, Thalia was forced to tromp through the desert's shifting sands to reach a destination. She grumbled under her breath with every exaggerated step, cursing nature and man alike. Nature had formed these wretched dunes, and man had made the decision to build the damn tomb out here.

When the mysterious structure came into view, Thalia let out a cry of despair. The entrance towered above them, near the top of the obelisk-like structure. To get there, they would have to climb even more steps than they'd needed to enter the palace. As queen of Attica, Thalia decided her first act would be to abolish staircases. If she ever saw another stair again, it would be too soon.

"That's it," she muttered. "I'm already defeated. I can't do this."

"Of course you can!" Mystras cheered. "Look at Sin! He was the same way when we went to Artemyra. Actually, I think you're doing better than he did. He tried to get Hinahoho to carry—"

"Mystras!" Sinbad flew over to the knight, putting him in a headlock and whispering conspiratorially.

When the two emerged from there huddle, Mystras scratched the back of his turban guiltily. "What I _meant_ to say is that Sinbad was stoic and reserved the whole way there, a true vision of manliness. It was amazing to watch."

Sinbad stood with his arms crossed, nodding approvingly at Mystras's revised story. Thalia couldn't help but giggle. Clearly, the first version of the narrative was the correct one, but she supposed it was flattering Sinbad was so invested in her opinion of him.

Narmes, who was further ahead dutifully escorting King Armakan, turned around and faced Thalia, his lips pulled into a deep frown. He marched toward her, showing no sign that walking on the unstable sand bothered him. As soon as he was close enough, his hand reached out and gripped her arm a little too tightly, emerald eyes set anxiously upon her. "Thalia, may I speak with you?"

"Is something wrong?"

His head swiveled around, taking note of her nosy friends. They had all stopped to stare, various degrees of curiosity written on their faces.

"I'd rather speak in private if that's okay with you."

"Of course." She allowed him to guide her out of earshot, attempting not to wince at his overly-firm grip. He was scared, that much was obvious. She wondered if that was his reason for pulling her aside like this.

When they were far enough away from the other's, he released her, scratching the back of his neck. "Admittedly, we've only been on one date, and I don't know you that well," he began, taking her delicate hand in his own. He studied it for a moment, stroking it with his thumb, turning it to view the palm. Thalia wondered what it was he was hoping to find. "I'm worried that you don't seem to be much of a warrior."

It struck Thalia that he was looking for scars, calluses, anything that might show she was experienced in battle. He was afraid for her safety.

With her free hand, Thalia shyly wrapped her fingers around Narmes's own. His were strong, slender, and, like Sinbad's, they were thick but well-maintained. She believed that if she were to remain here, those hands would keep her safe. Yet, there had been a time when she'd have made the same assertion about Marcus. The reality was, Sinbad was right. She didn't really know Narmes, and with her friends gone, there would be no one to protect her. Thalia knew as well as anyone how people changed when they believed her to be defenseless.

She took a small step back, removing herself from his grip and returning her palms to her side.

"I'll be fine," she assured him. "My friends are really dependable. Sin told you, didn't he? He's already conquered two dungeons. I'm sure he wouldn't bring me along if he couldn't keep me safe."

In truth, she was terrified, but she wanted to believe that if Sinbad said it was okay, it was. He'd seen her at her weakest and still shown her kindness. He wanted her to grow, to become stronger. He'd never tried to hold her back.

Maybe the guy standing in front of her was the same, but one date wasn't enough to put herself in his hands.

Narmes's eyes wandered behind her to her friends. Thalia followed his gaze and winced. Once she and Narmes had left earshot, the others hadn't gone back to minding their own business. They were still staring. They had seen Thalia hold Narmes's hand. When she returned, she would have to brace herself for endless mocking.

"You really trust that guy, huh?"

Thalia realized Narmes's eyes were locked on Sinbad. Was he jealous?

"I trust all of my friends," she corrected him, attempting to ease his insecurity. She'd chosen to go on a date with him, not Sinbad. In fact, the very idea that Sinbad was a romantic threat was preposterous. How could she ever love Sinbad? He was her best friend.

Narmes gave her a defeated smile. "Come back, okay?"

"I promise."

As she returned to her friends' sides, she cast one glance back. He gave her a weak smile and turned, heading back to his king.

"Thalia?" Mystras had his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed. "What just happened back there? You held that guy's hand!"

"That's my girl!" Hinahoho patted her on the back, a proud grin stretching across his face. "It's good to see you expanding your horizons."

"No!" Mystras stomped his foot into the sand. "It's not. You're a traitor to love, Thalia. A traitor!"

"Weren't you the one who dragged Sinbad to the brothel several days ago?" Ja'far asked warily. "I don't see how you can be upset with Thalia. Frankly, if it means she and Sinbad finally start giving each other some space, I'm glad to see her with someone else."

"You _support_ this?!" Mystras blanched.

"Right," Hinahoho chuckled. "I told you she wasn't ready, Mystras."

Thalia furrowed her eyebrows. "What's going on? What am I not ready for?"

Sinbad's hand landed in her hair, ruffling it gently. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure it's nothing."

Mystras clasped his hands behind his back. "Yeah, it's nothing."

Narrowing her eyes, Thalia leaned in. Had Mystras and Hinahoho been talking about her when she wasn't around?

"It sounds like _something_."

"I just said it's _nothing!_ "

From behind her, Thalia heard the sound of Hinahoho's laughter. Sinbad sighed and nudged her toward the dungeon entrance.

"Fight it out while we're walking. Come on, guys."

Together, Thalia, Sinbad, Hinahoho, Drakon, Masrur, Ja'far, Serendine, and her two maids began their ascent to the dungeon.

When Thalia imagined a dungeon, she thought of strange monsters, exotic plants, and whimsical architecture. In that regard, her first impression of the dungeon was thoroughly disappointing. From the inside, it appeared to be an ordinary building. Stone lions spit streams of water out of crumbling walls into a pool that lined the room. Straight ahead, a set of closed double doors awaited.

Thalia assumed the real danger would begin once they passed through. Hugging herself protectively, she suppressed a shiver. A part of her wanted to turn back, remembering her adventures so far had led to her becoming enslaved and witnessing the wholesale slaughter of bandits, but it was too late. She would either die here, or her friends would conquer this dungeon. She had to put her faith in Sinbad. He'd already conquered two dungeons, so this should be easy.

Serendine stepped forward, her hand on the hilt of her sword. "From here on out, we'll need to be careful."

Thalia scowled. Serendine's suggestion was perfectly reasonable, yet the very fact that it had come from her mouth made Thalia want to be as reckless as possible. She glanced at Sinbad, waiting for his orders. He was the one Thalia was following, and he was the only one she would listen to.

Drawing his sword, Sinbad approached the door and grinned back at them mischievously. "It'll be faster just to cut through to the treasury." A sigil glowed on his weapon, bathing him in light. It was so bright, Thalia had to squeeze her eyes shut. When she opened them again, her friend's hair was cyan instead of purple, and…

"You have a tail!" she cried, pointing to the reptilian protrusion.

"This is your first time seeing something like this, right, Thalia?" Sinbad asked.

He turned around and gave her a playful wink. That might have been enough to throw her off balance in itself, but…

How could battle armor show so much skin? From behind, she hadn't noticed, but from the front, his chest and abdomen were on display. The fluttering stirred again, sudden and disarming. Thalia stumbled backward into Ja'far.

"Watch it!" he mumbled, pushing her off him.

She apologized, scolding herself for allowing Sinbad to catch her off-guard. She was going to have to be more careful from now on.

Straightening her back, Thalia tried to appear composed, as though the sight of her best friend hadn't just sent her reeling. Sinbad's eyebrows shot up, but he made no comment. Instead, he turned back around, raising his sword and beginning a chant.

"Bararaq sai—!"

The floor suddenly dropped out from under Thalia's feet, and she landed hard on the ground. The impact was so sudden, it knocked the breath out of her lungs. Pushing herself up, Thalia whipped her head around. What had just happened? Where was she now? She glanced at Serendine to her left, who was rubbing her back tenderly. She looked up and made eye contact with Thalia.

"Are you okay?"

Quickly, Thalia pursed her lips, issuing a reluctant grunt before averting her eyes. In front of her, Sinbad brushed off his clothes, apparently having released his djinn equip. Ja'far was cradling his head in one hand behind her. Mystras lay flat on his back, and Hinahoho and Drakon were already standing back up.

With all her friends accounted for, Thalia dared to look around. The surface they had landed on was flat, metallic like gold. It may have even _been_ gold. It dropped off sharply at the sides, plunging into clear water. Stained glass windows ran along the walls, keeping the room well illuminated. Under an arched ceiling was the focal point of the room, a towering pillar with blue gargoyle perched at the top.

"Where are we?" Sinbad asked, scratching his head.

"This is the treasury," a voice replied. It came from the direction of the statue. "I'm rather attached to this dungeon. I'd prefer you not destroy it, so I bought you here. I am the djinn of spirit and puppetry, Zepar."

That was when Thalia realized the blue goblin was no statue. It was the djinn. The djinn was talking.

Thalia brought a hand to her head, taking a deep breath. Djinn existed. She understood that. After all, she had witnessed their power for herself when Sinbad showed her his metal vessels. Even with that knowledge, Thalia had never _believed_. This strange creature challenged her entire worldview. She gazed at the djinn with apprehension. Having reality called into question was… unsettling.

She stood up, assuming her place behind Sinbad. The others gathered around him as well.

The creature sat casually with his goat legs crossed, his tail flicking about casually. Thalia couldn't help but think he resembled a goblin of some sort.

Smiling down at them, Zepar continued. "Welcome, humans." When his eyes locked on Sinbad, he stretched his wings, swooping down to get a closer look. "You're unusual, aren't you? I see you've brought several djinns with you… just like that king."

Thalia furrowed her eyebrows. Was there another king who had multiple djinn? As far as she knew, Sinbad's accomplishment of capturing two dungeons was unprecedented.

"But instead of that king… you're more like…" The djinn's expression darkened. "No, nevermind."

Ja'far took a step forward. "Um… this is the end of the dungeon, right?"

"Right, but it seems that one of you has already decided to be king. Even so, Sinbad, you possess a rare type of magic power. As you already possess numerous household vessels, you are undoubtedly the king vessel. However, it's not your strength I'll be testing." Casting a cocky grin, the djinn pointed a taloned claw behind him. "As a king, how well do you think your allies will obey you?"

That was it? Thalia just had to obey Sinbad's orders? Suppressing a laugh, Thalia relaxed. That tyrant had her run errands all the time. She'd followed him to the dark continent, crossed a desert for him— even followed him into a dungeon. What else could this djinn throw at her?

"So, the requirement of this test is that everyone passes, right?" Sinbad asked the djinn. He turned his attention to his followers. "Then what's there to worry about? I believe in the strength of every one of you. We've made it this far fighting together because you guys are my friends and allies."

He locked eyes with her, and something inside Thalia melted. Yes, she could do this. She could do anything.

"First up, I'll have your fellow allies fight each other here."

… except that.

All eyes turned to her. "This is bad. Thalia really can't fight," Mystras whispered.

She supposed she shouldn't be surprised that there would be fighting in a dungeon, but against her friends? She'd have a better chance against monsters. Once again, she felt like a kitten among lions.

Thalia timidly met Sinbad's encouraging gaze, and her worries were put to rest. He believed in her. She could do this. She resolved she would do whatever it took not to hold him back.

"You're right, but I'll give it my all anyway," she announced more confidently than she felt.

"I haven't even decided on the pairings yet!" Zepar complained. He pointed to Mystras and Hinahoho. "You two seem suited to fight each other."

The two warriors agreed readily, dismissing Ja'far's objections to their height difference. When they entered the ring, they fought valiantly, giving it their all until, both too exhausted to continue, the fight ended in a draw.

Zepar frowned, looking down at the two unconscious warriors. "That ending was a bit boring. A fight should be something a bit more desperate, a bit more of a life and death situation. At least, that's what I'd like to see. Let's make it a bit more serious this time."

Zepar pointed at Ja'far and Masrur, his lips pulled into a gleeful smile. "Next will be a fight to the death. You two will fight until one of you manages to kill the other."

* * *

Ja'far was not a fan of the unpredictable and never had been. He liked routine. He liked order.

He did not like this djinn. Zepar wasn't playing by any set of rules— at least, not any that Ja'far could make out. If Zepar was testing the strength of Sinbad's allies, this was a strange way to do it.

"What do you mean 'to the death?'" Thalia exclaimed. Ja'far watched her tense up in the corner of his eye. Admittedly, he didn't trust her. Since she'd come around, Sinbad had been distracted. It seemed like they were always together, and when they weren't, Sinbad seemed on edge. It was like she'd cast some sort of spell over him, like he couldn't bear to be apart. It was sickening. Sinbad had even put everyone in danger by bringing her to the dark continent and then into the dungeon. That was another thing Ja'far didn't like.

"What the hell…?"

At least Sinbad still had the capacity to understand the severity of the situation they were in.

Ja'far turned his head back to the djinn. "I'm going to have to refuse. You said you wanted to test our strength, so there should be no need for a fight to the death."

Zepar let out a large sigh. "You just don't get it, do you?" His large eyes held neither contempt nor pity. They were nothing if not business-like. "In a dungeon, the rules of a djinn are absolute. If I tell you to kill, you kill."

"Wait!" Thalia shouted, pushing her way to the front. "We've all chosen to follow Sinbad, not you. We've chosen to follow him because he'd never carelessly ask us to lay down our lives for something as trivial as a test."

Ja'far raised his eyebrows. He couldn't remember another time when she'd stood up for someone like this.

Zepar's turned his attention to her, his lips twitching upward. "Thalia Alexandris… I'm surprised. For someone who daydreams about nothing but violence, isn't this pacifism a bit hypocritical?" Leaning forward, he lowered his voice tauntingly. "You see it every time you look at her, don't you? Blood. The blood of your family, your people… she's stained with it. I could give you a chance to avenge them later. How would you like to go next?"

Thalia collapsed to her knees, clearly shaken, and Ja'far glanced back to Serendine, who was paler than usual. Zepar was almost certainly referring to her, but of course, he must be speaking metaphorically. Thalia and Serendine were civil to each other at the company, but it was obvious they avoided each other. Everyone knew it was because Serendine's country had conquered Thalia's. Ja'far doubted Thalia had it in her to kill anyway. He needed to change Zepar's mind before he pitted poor, defenseless Thalia against anyone.

Ja'far wasn't particularly fond of her, but he didn't dislike her either. He certainly didn't want her to die.

"No one's fighting anyone to death," Ja'far repeated.

Zepar turned his three eyes back to Ja'far, and something about his gaze felt invasive. Ja'far suppressed a shiver.

"I know all about you too, Sham Lash Chief Assassin, Ja'far."

Ja'far winced at the mention of his former title.

"You actually enjoyed killing, didn't you? Tormenting, hurting, killing… you only really felt alive when you were out for blood, didn't you?"

Images of the people Ja'far had killed flashed into his mind. Women, children, men— it hadn't mattered. He'd murdered hundreds of innocent people, and the thrill… he didn't miss it, but he remembered it. Shame rose in the pit of his stomach like bile.

The djinn cracked a smile incongruent with his words. "If it's in your nature, what right do you have to refuse my request? You liked it, didn't you? Killing?"

Ja'far hung his head. "I didn't."

It was all he'd known. He much preferred his current life to the hell he'd escaped.

"I don't believe you, murderer."

Something in Ja'far snapped. He pulled out his darts, ready to take his chances against a djinn. Before he could move, though, Masrur cut Zepar's head off with a swipe of his sword. Zepar disappeared into a puff of smoke, leaving nothing in his wake.

The Fanalis child turned and looked Ja'far in the eye. "I'm not a slave anymore. No one can order me to fight to the death again."

"You kids really don't listen to what you're told." The smoke gathered back into a dense cloud, forming the djinn once more. "As long as you're in a dungeon, a djinn is invincible. Not a single one of your attacks will work."

Ja'far glared defiantly at the djinn. He wasn't going to hurt Masrur. They could die here for all he cared.

Zepar scowled. "Fine. If you're so set against defying my orders…" With one of his talons, he sent forth a bolt of light, striking Masrur. Ja'far called out to him, but he made no response. As the djinn slumped forward, eyes drifting shut, Masrur dropped his sword.

"Masrur?"

As a former assassin, Ja'far knew how to sense a murderous aura, and the one emanating from his friend was strong. Masrur's hand curled into a fist, and he grinned up at Ja'far with a sneer. Something was wrong with his eyes. They had a vacant look, as though it wasn't really Masrur looking through them. Kicking off the ground, the Fanalis child shot into the air. He ricocheted off the walls and came crashing down, barely missing Ja'far. His landing tore a massive rift in the golden platform, plowing through to the bottom.

Ja'far rushed to the edge, looking for his friend in the pit. "Masrur?"

Masrur's striped headband came fluttering down, and Ja'far caught it.

Down below, Masrur inspected his own hands, cackling gleefully. "So this is the power of one of the ancient red lions, huh? It much surpasses that of a human!"

A cold sweat formed on Ja'far's neck. Something about the way he was talking… it reminded him more of Zepar. What was going on?

"This way we can have an interesting deathmatch, what do you say?"

Masrur took off in a sprint. He was fast too. In a blink, Ja'far had lost him.

"Haha! Over here!"

Ja'far swiveled his head around and caught sight of a head of red hair on the other side of the massive room. Uncharacteristically, Masrur hopped around. It was as though it was his first time in his own body. In one tremendous leap, he landed behind Ja'far, cracking the platform beneath him. It was strange.

It was as though…

"It might be difficult to adjust to all this power, huh?"

 _That's not Masrur._

"I don't know what kind of power this is, but that's you in there, isn't it, Zepar?"

Masrur smiled ominously. "Heh. Bingo. I can meddle with people's minds. I fiddled with the kid's head a bit. His consciousness is asleep right now. This way, we can fight without any interruptions." His hand shot out in invitation. "Let's get started. A fight to the death."

Ja'far nodded. He would have to immobilize Zepar as soon as possible. He couldn't survive one of Masrur's attacks, but if he managed to zap him with Bararak Sei, it should finish the fight.

"Ready?" Zepar shouted. "Let's get going!"

With the reflexes of a snake, Ja'far struck out, sending his wires to constrain his friend. "Bararak Sei!"

An electric current ripped through the cords, wrapping themselves around… nothing? Sensing a presence behind him, Ja'far whipped around, throwing up his arm just in time to block a powerful kick. Luckily, it only grazed Ja'far's arm, or the damage could have shattered his bone.

Zepar whirred past him repeatedly, whipping the air up into such a frenzy it created shock waves, cutting into Ja'far's skin. When the attacks died down, Ja'far slumped forward, cradling his injured arm.

"Hm." Zepar inspected Masrur's hands. "I can't control this body very well yet. Oh well, as long as I can move it, I should be able to eliminate you!"

Ja'far shuddered, his heart pounding in his chest. Why did it feel like he was facing something overwhelmingly beyond human? There was no way Ja'far could win this fight. If he did, he would die. Everything in him was screaming to flee.

Zepar came at him again, and Ja'far did everything in his power to fend him off. His wires flailed like whips, thrashing around wildly in an attempt to land a hit on Zepar. He narrowly dodged attack after attack— from behind, from the side, from the other side. His body was quickly wearing out, his legs trembling under his own weight. He couldn't keep this up. He needed to do something— anything.

Zepar paused once again to gloat. "Haha! Awesome! You're barely standing by now, huh? I don't have a scratch on me!"

 _Damn it!_ Ja'far panted, his cuts burning and his arm throbbing. Zepar was right. There was no way Ja'far could win… unless. _Of course!_ Why hadn't he noticed sooner? So far, Zepar had done nothing but charge straight at him. If he couldn't dodge, all Ja'far had to do was set a trap.

Sending his wires into the ground, he waited for Zepar to resume his attacks. When Zepar charged forward, they broke free, wrapping themselves around Masrur's body. Ja'far sent an electrical current through them, effectively trapping Zepar.

"What?"

Ja'far allowed a victorious smirk to cross his face. "No matter how strong you are, you can't break a metal vessel, can you?"

Masrur's body squirmed, his mouth falling open.

"To a djinn like you, humans are lesser beings. The moment you got worked up by provocation was the moment that you sealed your defeat." Ja'far increased the intensity of the power he sent through the metal vessel, screaming at the top of his lungs. "Now, get out of Masrur! Bararak Sei!"

Zepar writhed in his chains, screaming and bucking until finally, it stopped. Ja'far lowered Masrur's unconscious body to the ground gently, kneeling over him.

 _In the end, I had no choice but to be harsh with him._

"Ow…"

When Masrur opened his eyes, Ja'far's heart leaped. He was okay. He was going to be fine.

"Masrur! You're awake!"

"Heh, that sure surprised me!" The boy lifted his head. "You almost knocked me out cold!"

Scowling, Ja'far took a closer look into his friend's eyes. They still had that vacant look. It was still Zepar.

"Don't make that face." Zepar let out a small laugh. "I'll leave Masrur's body as soon as the match is decided."

"Decided?" Ja'far screamed. "Isn't it already decided?" Masrur couldn't move. What chance could he possibly have?

"I said before, didn't I? Zepar reached up and grabbed one of Ja'far's darts, pointing them to his own chest. "The match is over when someone dies. Go on, kill him. You only pass if one of you dies."

Ja'far looked into Masrur's… no, Zepar's eyes… and all he could see was his friend. He had to do something and fast. If one of them didn't die, they would all be stuck here.

Then, Ja'far remembered a technique from his Sham Lash days. If he did this right, he could save everyone. If not, he would die. There was only one way to be sure.

He stood up, leaving Masrur's body on the ground. "The requirement is that one of us dies, right? Then, it doesn't matter which of us dies?"

Turning to Sinbad, he gave a reassuring smile. "Sin, I'll leave the rest to you."

Plunging a knife into his chest, Ja'far closed his eyes and collapsed.

….

"Ja'far! Ja'far, wake up!"

 _Is that Thalia being so noisy?_

…

"Junior, do something!"

 _So annoying…_

.

"Ja'far!"

 _She really cares, huh?_


	22. Marriage Proposal

Thalia's stomach churned violently at the sight of Ja'far's lifeless body. He carried himself with such dignity and maturity, it was easy to forget he was a child, but seeing him limp and frail in Drakon's large hands was a brutal reminder. He was so small, and Thalia should have protected him. She should have been stronger. She should have done something.

Sinbad hovered anxiously over Drakon as he listened for breathing.

"Ja'far. Hold on, Ja'far." Sinbad slumped forward, reaching out tentatively as though he were afraid of hurting the injured child further.

"Sinbad…" Drakon's voice shook. "It's no good. He's already…"

Dropping to her knees, Thalia choked out a strangled sob. Why had things turned out this way? It was supposed to be easy. They were supposed to all come back together.

Laughter rang out in the room, bouncing off the walls. "Good job, Ja'far! That's it! That's exactly how a loyal subject should act." Thalia had almost forgotten about Zepar in Masrur's body. She choked out another sob. She was powerless to protect Masrur too. "I just wanted to see how much pain you'd be willing to go through for your king. You pass."

Masrur's body fainted as the djinn's eyes reopened. "The fight is over. It was a good match, huh?"

"... A good match?" Sinbad's voice was strained. Thalia had never seen him lose his temper, but right now, he was dangerously close.

"Yeah!" Zepar tilted his head, an innocent smile upon his face. "The first two were able to surpass the limits of their own strength, and the second two showed their willingness to offer up their lives for their master. I couldn't have asked for better results. You've got yourself some excellent subordinates."

"Quit fucking around." In a flash of light, Sinbad equipped Baal, pointing his sword toward Zepar. Her best friend was about to fight a djinn, and he would win. The air around him seemed to crackle with energy. Thalia rose to her feet, the tears no longer streaming down her face. Zepar would pay. Sinbad would make him pay.

"What do you think you're doing?" the djinn asked in a low voice.

"We're not your playthings," Sinbad snapped. "Can you lay down your life for your king? How much pain are you willing to go through for your king? If those are the things that make someone a loyal subject, I want nothing to do with them. I'll take it all upon myself! The pain, suffering… Whether it means putting my life at risk, my friends are everything!"

"Sinbad!" she shouted. "You're not taking on anything alone." Suffering and pain? She would do everything within her power to make sure he never felt any of that again. He was her savior. Every breath she took as a free woman belonged to him. Turning to Zepar, she drew herself upright, trying to seem braver than she actually was. "Sinbad has earned all of our trust through his sincerity, but you? Playing around with the lives of children? You're pathetic."

Zepar scoffed. "What are you going to do, little princess? Fight me? It's pointless. Inside a dungeon, a djinn is..."

"Invincible, right?" Sinbad looked so small compared to the towering djinn, but he held himself with confidence. "But what about against another djinn. Are you sure you'd come away from Baal's attack unscathed?"

"Geez..."

Thalia blinked back a fresh wave of tears. Now she was hallucinating Ja'far's voice. Was this Zepar meddling with her head?

"I said I'd leave things to you, and here you are throwing all my sacrifice away." Jafar sat up and spit blood.

"Ja'far?" Thalia's suppressed a joyous giggle, too elated to hold back. Drakon had been wrong. He was alive. She wanted to run to him, scoop him into her arms, and hug him until he threatened to fire her. Instead, she grinned and waved at him. Ja'far locked eyes with her briefly before looking away guiltily.

"That's impossible!" Drakon exclaimed. "Your heart had stopped! I confirmed it with my own hands!"

"It's simple," Ja'far replied. "I only appeared to be dead. I opened a small hole in my chest that drastically lowered my heart rate for a few minutes." He turned to Zepar. "I was dead, so your conditions were met. You can't go back on your word now."

Sinbad dropped his djinn equip, his face crumpling with relief. Around her, her exhausted friends began to wake. Why had Thalia ever doubted that things would turn out well?

"What the hell is this?" the djinn growled. "I won't accept this. I won't acknowledge you as king! You'll spend the rest of your lives here in this dungeon."

Thalia grimaced. The last thing she wanted to do was starve to death in the same room as Serendine, but she doubted it would come to that. Sinbad always had a plan.

"Fine with me," Sinbad said.

"We were only here as a favor to Heliohapt anyway." Ja'far agreed.

Pointing his sword at Zepar, Sinbad shouted, "We'll force our way through!"

One by one, Sinbad's allies agreed to fight by his side. Even Thalia resolved to contribute to the effort in any way she could. Soon, the only person left was Serendine.

"Wait, Sinbad!" Serendine placed her hand upon her chest, poising herself pridefully. "Forgive our rudeness. Let's carry on with the trials."

Zepar crossed his arms petulantly.

"I refuse. I expect more from a King Vessel than what Sinbad has shown me."

"Um…!" One of Serendine's maids spoke up. "What if Serendine were to be your king vessel? Out of all the people here, she is the one who wants power more than anyone else! If she had more power, she could definitely take back the country she lost!"

Thalia scowled. Serendine had deserved to lose her country for what she did. If anyone deserved to take back her kingdom, it was Thalia. But, of course, Attican women didn't fight. Thalia kept her mouth shut, glowering at the princess in front of her.

"Fine." Zepar grinned. "There are two king vessels, so naturally you'll be the ones to compete. This fight is a showdown between your ideologies. In other words, a battle of the heart."

The first question was simple enough.

"How do you intend to use your metal vessels?"

Sinbad answered first. "That's easy. I would use the power of the metal vessel to change the world. For that purpose, I have made efforts to create alliances with other countries and continue to advance my goal of creating my own country."

Thalia nodded proudly. He had a practical, concrete solution to an abstract problem.

He continued. "If the world is filled with injustice, I will create a perfect world free of conflict, where we can accept one another as we are. My intention hasn't changed since the moment I gained Baal's power!"

Quietly, Thalia clapped, her heart fluttering in her chest. Every time he talked about his dream, she wanted to make it happen with more fervor. Sinbad was amazing. How Zepar didn't see that Thalia couldn't fathom.

Serendine answered next. "I empathize with Sinbad's ideals. I have no desire to stand in his way, but…" She turned her gaze to Sinbad. "Your ideals are just a bunch of pretty words. There's no substance to them. Just what is this perfect world you keep going on about? Is it a world without poverty, a world without war, or a world without countries and discrimination? You can't even put it into words. Isn't the image of a perfect world you present too vague?"

"That's not true," Sinbad raised a hand to his chest defensively. "I've made many friends and formed alliances with those who agree with my ideals."

"That just makes it seem even more disingenuous!" Serendine shot back. "There's no one in this world who hasn't faced any injustice! Everyone wishes they could change something about the world! That's why everyone agrees with your desire to change things!"

Thalia wanted to yell back at Serendine. She wanted to prove her wrong with a few sharp words, but the truth was, Serendine was right. To create a world without suffering, Sinbad would need to identify specific issues to tackle them, but that didn't mean it couldn't be done. If anyone could do such a thing, it was Sinbad. He needed to put more thought into this, but Thalia could help him.

Serendine wound her way to her point: "I would use the metal vessel for my country and my country only."

Pursing her lips, Thalia narrowed her eyes. If Serendine intended to use her metal vessel for Parthevia, it would make her own mission of taking her country back nearly impossible. Sinbad needed to win this, if only to keep Serendine from acquiring that kind of power.

Sinbad stepped forward. "For your country? That wouldn't change anything then, would it? Are you saying it's enough to make your own country happy? That's just how Parthevia was back then, isn't it?

Bowing her head, Serendine cast her gaze to the ground. "I won't deny that."

"Then, why?"

"Sinbad." Serendine took a deep breath. "There's more to changing the world that using all your power against it. You wish to found a country as a means of changing the world, don't you? Because you think as the leader of a country, you'll be able to negotiate with other countries and influence their actions?"

Sinbad nodded. "That's right."

"If that's the case, you don't need a country. Just being a merchant is enough. You managed to eliminate the Mariadel Company and absorbed its resources. In doing so, you acquired all the property, assets, and human resources you could ever need. Money, capital, fame, power, you have it all. Doesn't someone like that already have the power to greatly influence the world? Even if you don't found your country, you already have everything you wished for, so why is it you want to build a country?"

"That's obvious." Ja'far stepped forward. "It would be easier to accomplish the things we want to accomplish with a country."

Shaking her head, Serendine scoffed. "In that case, none of you know what a country is. You aren't thinking of it as anything but a vessel for diplomacy! Have you any idea of what it takes to run a country? What about the population? What will you produce? How will things be organized? Will it be a monarchy or a republic? Currently, you're just a company made up of a few hundred people, but a country is different. They won't be your friends and allies that agree with your ideals. They'll be your citizens. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to keep domestic affairs stable and protect the livelihood of your citizens? It's just a matter of fact that foreign policy has to come second hand. As a king, wouldn't your duty be to protect your country and not the world?"

Thalia glanced at Sinbad, who stood frozen, and sighed. Serendine could try to scare him all she wanted, but Thalia knew politics as well. She knew how countries were run, and Serendine was intentionally misleading him.

"A king has advisors and delegates power to people below him. The idea that Sinbad will be so swamped with work that he will not be able to focus on the things important to him is a fallacy. No single man can run a country, but Sinbad has experience managing dozens of people who take care of things he only has surface-level knowledge of already. Business and politics are different skill sets, but in that regard, they're very similar." Sinbad glanced back and met Thalia in the eye, giving her an appreciative smile. "I, for one, think Sinbad has the potential to go down in history as one of the greatest kings to ever live."

"I disagree." Serendine turned from Thalia to Sinbad." Sinbad, you have the wit and resourcefulness to be an overwhelmingly successful leader. However…" Pointing at Sinbad, she shouted, "... it's because of those things that you're not suited to be a king!"

Sinbad stumbled backward. "What do you mean? You just said—"

"Because a king doesn't need to be a leader. If a king holds power, controls all, and commands those around him, doesn't that mean he has exceeded what it means to be king? That would make him a dictator."

Fuming, Thalia clenched her fists. Where was Serendine pulling this dictator bullshit from? They had just established that Sinbad hadn't decided on the form his government would take. There was no basis on which to attack him for his governing style.

"You've seen before how this works, haven't you? When the president of your company was gone, you put your heads together to come up with a solution. At that time, you were without a leader, weren't you?"

Ja'far raised his hands irritably. "Then what's the purpose of a king? Aren't you being contradictory?"

Serendine responded with a cold gaze. "I'm not being contradictory. That's because the role of the king is to be a royal symbol and nothing more."

Thalia chuckled disdainfully "You, Serendine Dikumenowlz Du Parthevia, are just going to sit on the throne and look pretty while you let the noblemen continue to run your country into the ground?"

"That's what you plan to do, is it not?"

Thalia raised her head pridefully. "Of course. The laws of my country don't _permit_ a woman to claim the throne. It's my job to find a king, a _leader_ , to rule Attica wisely. _I_ don't have a _choice._ "

Serendine's lips turned up sweetly. "But Thalia, you've already found a king like that, haven't you? Or were you exaggerating when you professed your faith in Sinbad earlier."

"I—"Thalia choked on her answer. She hadn't asked Sinbad to marry her because she was unworthy, because he would say no, because she wasn't ready to get married. There were so many reasons, but none of them had anything to do with Sinbad. No, he was perfect.

Serendine turned back to Sinbad. "The most important quality of a king is blood."

This drew Thalia out of her stupor and back on the offense. "Blood? Do you think the peoples you conquered respect your precious bloodline? Or will you admit there's more than one way to assert authority over a country?"

"You're a princess, too," Serendine snapped. "You should know how important blood is to the peaceful transition of power and the stability of a country."

Crossing her arms, Thalia shook her head. "I understand blood can have tremendous sway over the public. But as you mentioned earlier, there are various forms of government, not all of which require a leader to be decided by blood. This should prove that a pedigree is not a requirement for a true leader. Instead, I propose an alternative interpretation of your theory. What makes a king are the people who support him. No matter how far back his family history goes, without the support of the right people, it's only a matter of time before he's overthrown. Is that not what happened to both of our countries? For me, it was the wrong alliances. For you, it was a military coup."

The scale trembled.

"Hold on, hold on, girls!" Zepar swooped down between the two hostile princesses. "Thalia, this is Sinbad's trial, not yours. Sinbad, call off your guard dog, or I won't recognize you as a king vessel."

Chewing her bottom lip, Thalia cast another glance at Sinbad.

"I want to win using my own abilities." He shot her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about me."

Thalia clenched her fists, reluctantly keeping her mouth shut. He didn't know Serendine like Thalia did. He didn't know what she was capable of or how she would lure him in. She would lure him in and destroy him, just like she'd destroyed Thalia.

Serendine turned to Sinbad with a thoughtful expression. "Sinbad, don't be so particular about creating your own country. Isn't the company you have enough? You can never truly become king. Despite that, do you insist on wishing for a country with which to change the world?"

Thalia winced as the scale trembled violently but remained even.

Sinbad came back quickly.

"I don't need blood. I'll be the same as my citizens. I'll create a country of traders!"

Remaining impassive, Serendine pressed him. "What will you do about land?"

"If we keep looking, I'm sure we can…"

"Ridiculous!" she shouted. "Sinbad, why did you decide to create your own country? Isn't it because you saw the condition of our homeland? In that case, shouldn't you be trying to save Parthevia?"

Sinbad cast his gaze to the floor. "Parthevia is on the way to recovery…"

"Don't be so naive. You think Barbarossa is such an honest person?"

At the sound of that name, Thalia's stomach dropped, a wave of nausea overcoming her. General Barbarossa, the other guilty party to her suffering… he was the only one she hated more than Serendine.

Serendine continued. "He was the one spurring on all the wars in the first place! He had all the power! I can't let that man continue to violate my country. Sinbad, help me take back Parthevia! You can become the next figurehead to serve as the pillar supporting Parthevia."

 _A figurehead for Parthevia?_

"Become my husband!"

 _Wha- what?_

Serendine reached out to him, absolutely radiant. She was beautiful— too beautiful. No one could have resisted her. Even Thalia wanted to reach out and…

"I can give you what you wish for… I can give you everything you want!"

There was something in her eyes, something more than admiration or adoration. Those eyes had never looked at Thalia that way.

The scale dropped. Sinbad had lost. He had failed, and a marriage proposal had done him in.

"Ridiculous," she muttered.

"Eh? She won fair and square." Zepar seemed content with the results, smugly reclining in mid-air with his arms folded behind his head.

"Ridiculous!" she repeated. "Sin, how can you take a word she says seriously? Don't you realize who she is by now? What she did?"

"Thalia, this is hard enough on him without you giving him a hard time," Drakon put his hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her, but she jerked away.

"No!" She wasn't going to sit still while this monster took away the last thing she had!

She marched in Serendine's direction, ready to give her former friend a piece of her mind. Her confrontation was impeded by a barrier of light that shot up around her, blocking her path. As it carried Thalia and her friends out of the dungeon, Thalia pounded her fists against it. It was no use. Serendine was gone.

Turning around to look at her friend, Thalia quickly sobered. Sinbad was slumped forlornly on a giant bag of gold. Why did he look so sad? She was furious with him for losing to her mortal enemy so easily, for even _considering_ a marriage proposal from that woman, but Serendine had offered him everything he'd ever wanted. Sinbad could marry her, a powerful princess, and become king, offered legitimacy by his wife's bloodline. Everything was within his grasp, so why…?

Thalia sat next to Sinbad in silence. She remembered her own political marriage she'd been desperate to escape and thought for a moment that maybe she understood. Then she realized she really didn't. Sinbad wasn't like her. He wasn't a spoiled princess who'd had no choice in his role. This was a dream he had chosen, and he'd spent passion and energy pursuing it for years. Then, Serendine had offered him an opportunity like this, one that required going to war to achieve. His dream had been so close, but he'd have to compromise his integrity to obtain it.

"Sin…"

Slowly, he raised his golden eyes to her face. It wasn't her stomach that fluttered this time. It was her chest.

Timidly, she rested her hand on his knee and gave him a weak smile. Now that she had calmed down, she was able to properly take in her surroundings. Tiny glowing birds fluttered past them. Were those the legendary rukh? Beyond a barrier of light and rukh, stars sprinkled out in every direction, glowing debris in a vast sea of nothingness. And before them, bathing them in dull blue light, a giant blue orb sat watching them. It felt sentient to her, as though it were protecting them on their voyage back to their world.

The feeling of something warm wrapping around her fingers startled her. Sinbad had taken the hand on his knee inside his own. Thalia stared at it for a moment, a warm feeling flooding over her. For the first time since the incident with Marcus, she rested her head on his shoulder. Serendine didn't matter. Taking back Attica didn't matter. There was absolutely nothing outside of the two of them that mattered. They were on Ria Venus Island again, under the night sky sharing their dreams in a secret corner.

If the others noticed the two friends' private moment, they never said a word.


	23. Insecurities

Chapter 23

 _Thud_. Thalia's eyes shot open, her body hitting the sandy ground with a jolt. As a pressure released from her hand, she lifted her head from Sinbad's shoulder.

"What happened?" she asked groggily.

Sinbad flicked her in the forehead. "You fell asleep on me. My back is killing me because I couldn't move."

"Sorry." Thalia rubbed the stinging spot between her eyebrows, looking around. Hinahoho and Mystras were scrambling to dig themselves out of a mountain of gold. Masrur was stirring from a nap, and Ja'far slid down from a large sack of treasure.

"Is everyone accounted for?" he asked, his eyes scanning the treasure. A short walk away, Thalia spotted Drakon, Serendine, and her two maids approaching.

"It looks like it," Thalia confirmed begrudgingly. Though she was happy to reunite with Drakon, the rest of his party was another matter entirely.

Ja'far nodded at her with a polite smile, and for the first time since the way to Balbadd, his eyes held no contempt. Thalia grinned back at him, tilting her head curiously. Had something happened in the dungeon? Did he trust her again?

Sinbad stood up and stretched before glancing back down at Thalia. "How does it feel to be one of the few people in the world who've survived a dungeon?"

Hopping up, she joined him at his side. "Pretty amazing. Am I going to be famous like you?"

Nodding, he flashed her a mischievous grin. "I'll write you into my next book as the beauty who tamed a dungeon creature with her siren song."

She furrowed her eyebrows. "Unless Zepar messed with my memory, that definitely didn't happen."

"But it makes for a good story." He winked conspiratorially, eliciting an exasperated sigh.

"You're back."

Thalia spun around to find the two Heliohaptian factions staring at them incredulously. Beaming, Thalia locked eyes with Narmes and signaled that she was okay.

Sinbad lifted his hand to his chest in the Heliohaptian salute. "Sorry to keep you waiting, your majesty. We've conquered the dungeon and returned the royal tomb to its original state, as promised. You can now proceed with the interment and investiture."

Narmes drew back, his emerald eyes widening as they fixed on her friend. He was in awe of Sinbad. She understood. She must have looked at him the same way the first time she'd seen him use his metal vessels. She recalled believing he was a god, or as close to one as a person could come. He wasn't a god, as she had found out since, but he had this way of drawing people in, making them believe he was some kind of entity above them.

Narmes looked to Thalia, his shoulders slumping. He didn't have to tell her what he was thinking. She knew. She'd felt it too, surrounded by all these incredible people. How could either of them possibly compare? Ignoring the prying eyes of the people around them, she walked up to him and took his hand. Her friends already knew about the two of them anyway. Right now, she just hoped to ease his insecurities.

"I kept my promise," she said softly.

His spine straightened a little, and he wrapped his fingers around hers.

"Your Majesty, shall we proceed to the tomb?" Narmes squeaked.

Armakan's expression softened as he took in the sight of their joined hands. "Yes. I'm already much encouraged that Heliohapt is on its way to rejecting its isolationist past."

"We'll see about that," the Queen Dowager sneered as her party approached them. Raising her chin disdainfully, she glared at Thalia and Narmes. "You're disgraceful. Both of you."

Narmes' nostrils flared. He opened his mouth to say something but paused when Thalia squeezed his hand gently. Glancing down at her, he squeezed back. "Let's just go."

He led the way through a canyon dotted with the remains of crumbling, ancient structures. This time, Thalia didn't complain about the sand. She'd survived a dungeon. She was supposed to be tough now. Besides, she wanted to be on her best behavior within earshot of Narmes. If he thought she complained too much, he might decide he didn't like her.

The tomb was carved into a cliff, guarded by four enormous statues of men with strange headdresses and a fifth, smaller figure above the entryway. Thalia said a silent prayer of thanks to the former kings' spirits when she realized the entrance to the tomb had no stairs. It appeared the architects of the country had finally taken mercy on her.

Inside, Narmes paused to light a lantern before leading the party forward. Thalia clung tightly to his arm, the flickering light of the fire illuminating looming statues. After meeting a djinn, Thalia was feeling a bit superstitious. If Zepar was real, who was to say vengeful spirits and reanimated corpses weren't?

Narmes explained the building's significance to Heliohapt's history. Typically, Thalia would have hung on his every word regarding a subject like this. This time, she barely listened. Instead, she kept glancing back anxiously to make sure Sinbad was still nearby. If something attacked, he would protect her.

"You can tell from the scale of the structure Heliohapt is a prosperous country," Ja'far mused from somewhere behind her.

Narmes paused, his grip on Thalia loosening. Turning around, he cast his eyes to the ground. "I wish that were the case, but…"

King Armakan picked up where Narmes trailed off. "Our situation is actually pretty desolate. This magnificent royal tomb, the royal palace, and the other great structures were built many generations ago. We've only inherited the legacy of the past. Heliohapt no longer wields the power it once had. No matter how advanced our technology may be, this country is mostly desert. It's obvious we will one day rely on imported goods. In order to progress, we have to open up relations with the rest of the world."

"Hmph." Lady Patra scoffed. "As expected, the young king knows nothing. You think opening the borders will make this country prosper? This is why we can't have an inexperienced youth ruling the country."

Narmes narrowed his eyes. "What are you trying to say?"

Patra threw her hands up. "It's true, isn't it? What's the greatest threat to our country? The Reim empire! They've already extended their influence to Cathargo! If they attacked us, we'd be unable to defend ourselves! The only reason we've been overlooked is that we're a small country with no resources! What do you think will happen if we draw attention to ourselves?"

Thalia focused her attention on the small child on the palanquin, shrinking with every word thrown by his family members. Thalia remembered hiding in her room during her parents' fights, covering her ears with a pillow in an attempt to drown it out. During those times, she would have given anything for it to stop. Did they know what they were doing to him?

Clenching his fists, Armakan stood his ground. "I agree that's a possibility, but we should begin discussing diplomatic relationships with Reim."

"Oh! You want to discuss things with a country that does nothing but wage war? How optimistic. Not that it matters. In a few hours, Sharrkan will be on the throne anyway." Patra stormed off in a huff, bringing her followers and her son's palanquin with her.

As Armakan began walking, Narmes lagged behind to check on him. "Lord Armakan…"

"Let's go, Narmes." The king's grip tightened around his staff. "We'll see this through until the end."

Narmes turned to Thalia, looking down at where she was crushing his arm. "Are you alright?"

"Ah, yes…" She smiled up at him warmly. It was too soon to let him know how damaged she was. If she told him her life story, it would scare him off for sure. "It's just so dark in here."

Guiding her forward, he held his lamp up higher. "It is, isn't it?"

When Thalia glanced back to reassure herself that Sinbad was nearby, she scowled. He was hanging back listening intently to Serendine. They looked so at ease with one another. Her chest squeezed as a sense of possessiveness took hold. What poison was Serendine putting in his head now? Were they discussing their engagement?

The light flickering from Sinbad's lamp softly illuminated Serendine's delicate features. Why did she have to be so painfully beautiful? It was just another reason to hate her, Thalia decided. She contemplated marching back there and interrupting whatever kind of moment they were having, but stopped herself. It was getting harder to keep control around Serendine. If she let herself interact with that traitor now, Thalia might just snap.

Thalia was still glowering over her shoulder when Narmes stopped. Distracted and unprepared, Thalia stumbled into him, losing her balance. He caught her by the shoulder with his free hand, steadying her.

"That was close. Please watch your step, Thalia. I'm afraid your friends will never forgive me if I let you get hurt." Though he gave her a wry smile, it didn't quite reach his eyes. She could tell that although he was trying to lighten the mood for her sake, he was too absorbed in his country's matters to find any humor in their situation.

"I'll be more careful," she assured him, shifting her weight guiltily. The future of Narmes' country was hanging in the balance. Meanwhile, Thalia was worried about a wedding that probably wasn't going to happen. Sinbad hadn't said no, but it clearly wasn't his first choice. He hadn't exactly jumped to accept the offer either.

"Anyway, this is it." As Narmes spoke, Thalia took in her surroundings. Lined up in front of a set of stairs were Narmes, herself, King Armakan's faction, and Lady Patra's faction. Sinbad and the others quickly caught up to them, filing in next to Narmes.

"This is the king's resting place?" Ja'far asked, scratching his ear.

"Ignorant foreigner, of course it is." Patra spat.

Narmes' muscles tensed under Thalia's fingers, but his voice remained calm. "His sarcophagus will be at the top of this staircase. The name of the true successor will be written on top."

Armakan set his jaw. "Let's settle this once and for all."

Narmes nodded, stepping forward with Thalia at his side. The factions approached as one large group, gathering around the stone grave. Narmes' palms were sweating, but his grip around Thalia's hand tightened. His chest rose and fell heavily, his breaths coming shallow.

Thalia helplessly stroked his thumb with hers, wishing there were more she could do. She barely knew him, but he had been kind to her. Silently, she resolved that if Armakan's name were not on the lid, she would do everything within her power to convince Sinbad to allow her to bring Narmes and Armakan back to Balbadd. There was a sinking feeling in her stomach that Patra would continue to view them as threats even after she assumed power. Their lives would be in danger.

"Now to confirm what's carved on the sarcophagus…" Narmes raised his lamp, the light washing over the smooth surface of the sarcophagus. "What?!"

"I don't understand," Thalia said, running her fingers across the stone to feel for the grooves that should have been on the surface. "You said the name should be written on the outside, right?"

Sinbad leaned forward. "Narmes, what's going on?"

Shaking his head, Narmes dropped Thalia's hand. "I don't know. Nothing like this has ever happened before…"

"The final words of the king must be somewhere!" Gafra cried. "Start looking!"

As the others spread out around the room, Thalia and Mystras shoved the heavy lid out of the way together. She assumed that if it was supposed to be on the outside, the next logical place to look was inside.

"There's a scroll." Thalia held back a gag as Mystras reached into the coffin and lifted a papyrus off the corpse's chest. Unrolling the scroll, he read its contents aloud. "I am Atenkumen. This is my final will and testament. This is a deviation from carving a will into the sarcophagus, a custom established by generations of kings. Listen carefully, you of the royal family. I am personally putting an end to this royal tradition. I will not choose the next king. Instead, I will entrust this task to you, Armakan and Sharrkan. As the two princes of Heliohapt, you must decide together who will be king."

"Give me that!" the Queen Dowager barked, tearing the paper from his hands. Her eyes widened as the words on the paper had just confirmed what had been read aloud.

"Arkaman and Sharrkan… choosing who will be king together?" Narmes stumbled backward. "The king has always announced his successor on the sarcophagus. That's the tradition. That's how it's always been."

"Things are changing, aren't they?" Thalia asked him gently. "Look at how the old system has torn these two brothers apart. It seems to me that the former king wanted nothing more than for his sons to work together."

"Ridiculous!" the queen dowager shouted, putting a hand to her sweaty forehead. "Do not speak as if you know the king's will, foreigner! You did not know him as I did! He valued tradition! No, this whole thing is a farce. Remember, Sharrkan saw his name carved into the sarcophagus!"

Sharrkan trembled under his mother's manic gaze. Inching closer to the two royals, Thalia prepared to protect the child from his Patra's wrath. Thalia's father had only looked at her that way once, and it had led to the most severe punishment she'd received at the palace. She would not let this child suffer the way she had.

"Tell them, Sharrkan!"

Sharrkan shrank in on himself, remaining silent.

Patra's expression darkened. "I see. So you deceived me." As Patra lunged toward her son, Thalia threw herself between them, blocking the woman's path. "Even though you're just a puppet! You deceived me!"

As Patra clawed mercilessly to reach her son, Thalia fended off her attacks the best she could. Patra was taller, but trekking through the desert had made Thalia strong. She stood her ground, not allowing Patra to pass.

"He's not a puppet!" Thalia shouted angrily. "He's your son!"

"Lady Patra, please calm yourself," Narmes begged, grabbing one of the queen dowager's arms. His grip was too respectful, too gentle. Patra ignored him, continuing her assault on Thalia.

"How dare you interfere with our family, foreigner! You have no right—"

"That's enough," Sinbad ordered. He yanked the middle-aged woman off of Thalia by the neck of her tunic.

"If things were going to turn out like this, we should never have let you foreigners enter that dungeon!" When Sinbad let go of her collar, Patra collapsed to the ground. "We should have kept using that curse as an excuse to dethrone Armakan!"

"So it was you after all," Armakan turned his steely gaze in her direction. "The person behind the deaths that you claimed were a curse was you."

"Isn't this Armakan's fault?" Patra threw her hands in the air, looking around for support. "If he hadn't insisted on opening the country up to Reim's influence…!"

"You say you're afraid of attracting Reim's attention, but you're part of Reim's new faction, aren't you?" Armakan pointed his staff at her accusatorially.

"What's wrong with that!" Patra lifted herself off the ground, throwing out her hand emphatically. "If we ally ourselves with a great empire like that, they can protect us! Otherwise, a small country like ours has no chance! Protecting this country all costs… isn't that the royal family's duty?"

Thalia suddenly understood. Patra's fears were real. After all, hadn't her own country suffered the very fate this woman was so desperately fighting to avoid? But her tactics were unforgivable.

"Don't we also have a duty to free ourselves from Reim's grasp?" Narmes challenged her. "If things continue like this, nothing will ever change!"

The two factions began to argue back and forth until Thalia finally decided to step in. They could go on like this all day, but it would get them nowhere— not without the kind of solution Sinbad had provided her on the ship to the Dark Continent.

"It may not be my place to say so, but you're all wrong." All eyes turned to her, and she resisted the urge to back down, straightening her back and speaking impassionedly. "My own country was swallowed by the insatiable appetite of an empire. We had done everything we could to please them for over a hundred years until, finally, we took one misstep and they turned on us." Turning to Narmes and Armakan, she continued, "However, they are right to be afraid. Reim is powerful and already has holdings on this continent. Cathargo is only a few days' march away. If you do attract the attention of Reim, you won't be able to withstand them using your own power."

"Then what would you have us do," the vizier sneered.

Thalia looked to Sinbad, wondering if he had understood her intentions. He smiled approvingly as he nodded.

"I can answer that." Sinbad stepped forward, bring his hand to his chest. "You should join the Seven Seas Alliance."

"How is that different from aligning ourselves with Reim?" Narmes asked, crossing his arms skeptically.

Thalia folded her hands in front of her, eagerly answering his question. "The Seven Seas Alliance is a group of loosely aligned small countries. No one country has the ability to dominate the rest. Membership is voluntary, and its countries continue to operate with relative freedom."

Sinbad expanded upon her sales pitch. "As a dungeon conqueror, by myself, I have power that rivals Reim's. If you rely on me, I'll be able to protect you, and you can live freely."

"That's ridiculous," Patra spat. "One of you is a merchant, and the other just admitted to losing her country to an empire." Thalia winced. Had her openness about the fate of her country just ruined Sinbad's chances of making this deal? "How could we trust the future of our country to either of you?"

Sinbad's hand curled into a fist at his side. "The world is full of people who are tired of suffering, who cannot choose a life of their own. It's wrong for someone with more power than you to take away your freedom and your right to decide your own future."

Again, his words resonated with Thalia in a way that left her breathless. She'd had her freedom stripped from her for four years as a slave and again as she'd been pinned down on that bed. Her right to decide her own future had been taken away when her father had agreed to marry her off to Reim. She knew what it was like to have her power stolen. Clutching her pounding heart, she stumbled closer to her magnetic friend. She wanted to realize his ideals so that, maybe, in the future, some small girl could be spared a similar fate.

"I feel the same way toward this country," Sinbad continued. "I want to protect it. As a metal vessel user, I have the power to destroy a country overnight. This is more than enough to help a small country stand up to a bigger country. Imuchakk, Sasan, and Artemyra are my allies. When Thalia manages to take back Attica, her country will also be one of our members. We do not invade, nor do we let ourselves be invaded. We're built on the basis of cooperation."

"That's absurd," Patra responded. "We're so far away from any of those countries you just listed. How would any of them be able to come to our defense? Besides, what kind of idiot would believe you have as much power as you claim?"

Sinbad nodded. "I understand. I'll show you."

As he led the group outside, Thalia found her way back to Narmes' side, taking his hand. She leaned over and whispered excitedly. "You've got to see this! It's so cool!"

Narmes responded by pulling away and staring at the ground. "I bet it is."

She frowned, looking down at her empty hand. It seemed she'd accidentally reopened Narmes' fountain of insecurity. She didn't know how relationships worked, and she wasn't sure she was ready for one, but it appeared that when the time did come, her friendship with Sinbad was going to be a problem.

If that's how things were going to be, maybe she'd give up on this dating thing. She wouldn't give up Sinbad for the world.

"Sin, please try to use some restraint," Ja'far requested as Sinbad readied his djinn equip.

Thalia clapped eagerly when Sinbad gave a cocky grin. "What are you talking about? Of course I'm going to give it my all." Lifting his sword to the sky, he shouted, "Bararaq Saiqa!"

A massive bolt of lightning crashed from his sword, tearing a chasm into the desert. Thalia reeled backward, nearly losing her balance. When he'd displayed his powers for her in the Napolia Amphitheatre, he had created gentle, beautiful snowflakes. She'd assumed he was going to recreate that moment. Was this the kind of power King Rashid had been describing back in Balbadd? She shuddered. What she had just witnessed was terrifying.

Stumbling to the ledge, she fell to her knees and looked down the vast hole in the desert floor. She couldn't see the bottom.

Glancing back at Sinbad, her best friend who'd always seemed so gentle, she drew in a deep breath. Now, he'd killed a man and torn a hole in the earth in front of her. What more didn't she know about him?

He switched to his other djinn equip, Valefor. In this form, animal ears protruded from his loose-flowing, white hair. Thalia's shoulders relaxed as she studied this new appearance. Would he let her tug his ears if she asked nicely?

"Each metal vessel is different," Sinbad explained to the group. "Some can be used as weapons; others can be used to protect those around you. However, if you misuse them..."

Ice sprayed from Sinbad's hands, creating crystalline spikes across the desert.

"You can cover an entire desert in ice. If I wanted to invade Heliohapt, it would already be mine," he finished.

As the Heliohaptians discussed the proposal among themselves, Thalia touched one of the ice spikes, relishing its chill in the desert heat.

Turning to Sinbad, she said, "I want one. With the treasure from conquering a dungeon and the power of a djinn, I could hire an army. You said not all metal vessels are used for fighting? If I could get my hands on one that can support my allies, I should be able to take back Attica."

Sinbad's lips turned up. "You're not wrong," Sinbad agreed, "but as you saw in Zepar's dungeon, a djinn has to deem you worthy. You displayed strong leadership skills today. If you keep growing like this, it will certainly factor into a djinn's decision, but you still have a huge weakness. How do you expect to earn a djinn's respect when you rely so much on others for protection? Are you willing to learn to defend yourself?"

"I can't." Thalia averted her eyes. "It's not my place. I'm a woman…"

"You're also strong." Sinbad's hand landed on her shoulder. "Whether you realized it or not, you fought Patra today to protect that prince. You _can_ fight. This is a matter of deciding whether or not you're willing to let go of some of your country's traditions to make it stronger."

Thalia shook her head, gripping her skirt tightly. "My people will never accept a queen who fights."

Sinbad nodded sagely. "A girl like you shouldn't need to worry about things like that anyway. You should just stay at the company and let me take care of you."

Thalia smacked his hand off her shoulder. " _Excuse_ me?"

His lips twitched before he burst out into hearty laughter. "You're already a fighter, Thalia. You're never going to be a decent housewife. It's not in your nature. Why not embrace that?"

"Even if I did learn to fight…" She glanced in Serendine's direction, a flare of anger welling up within her. "That would take years. My people are suffering now."

"Then I suggest you continue looking at other options." Sinbad shrugged, craning his neck toward the approaching group of Heliohaptians. Staring at her hands, Thalia blinked back tears. She had thought she'd found a shortcut that would have taken care of the most crucial piece of her puzzle. Instead, all she found was another dead end.

"We've decided," King Armakan began, interrupting Thalia's self-pity. "Heliohapt will join the Seven Seas Alliance and sign your trade agreement."

"Now that you have evidence of treason for the opposing faction, doesn't that make you the legitimate king?" Ja'far asked, joining them at Sinbad's side.

"It's true." Armakan nodded. "However, the former king's will must be taken into consideration. In that case, Sharrkan and I will have to decide together." Turning to the small prince, he asked, "So, Sharrkan, what will you do?"

Thalia wondered what kind of person the former king must have been to leave such an important decision to two children.

Sharrkan's hands tightened around his staff. "I think… the one who should be king is my brother. I've always just done what my mother and Gafra told me to, so I'm not fit for such an important role."

Thalia drew in a sharp breath. This little prince was so small, but his decision was better reasoned than the adults around him.

Thalia knelt down to Sharrkan's eye level. "That decision must have been hard for you, wasn't it? It sounds like you've really thought it through, though."

For the first time, the child's face lit up. "I did think it through!"

Thalia stroked his hair fondly. Maybe it was because he reminded her of herself, but something about him stirred a fierce protectiveness in her. It felt like he was her second chance at a childhood. If she could see him grow up happily, then maybe she could be content as well.

"Still, with things turning out this way, if he stays here, he's going to be in danger," Ja'far said, a troubled look clouding his face.

Thalia frowned, realizing he was right. Even if Armakan was merciful, the people around him had committed murder in his name. The common people will be looking to take out their anger at the loss of their own, and, with no one to protect him, this child would become a perfect target.

"If that's the case, I have a suggestion." Sinbad's hand landed on Sharrkan's shoulder. Thalia looked up to her friend. His eyes gleamed, a mischievous grin sneaking across his lips. If she didn't know better, she would have thought he was about to sign her extra work. His arm snaked across the startled boy's shoulder. It seemed less intimate than possessive. "Why don't you place his highness Sharrkan in the care of the Sindria Trading Company?"

"What—?" Narmes balked, taking a cautious step forward.

Sinbad nodded. "If he remains here, he will continue to be in danger, but at the company, he'll be able to live without fear. Thalia is in charge of the children, and, as you can see, she's quite good with them."

Heat bloomed in Thalia's face at his praise.

"Other countries have already entrusted royal children and important people with us as well. I think you could say it's the safest place in the world?"

"I have no problem with your condition, then." Armakan agreed. "However, it feels like you're taking a hostage."

Thalia shot up to defend her friend. "Sinbad would never! He saved me and hundreds of other children from slavery, reunited those with families, and provided opportunities to earn a living to the rest. You couldn't put Sharrkan in better hands."

"He did all that himself?" Narmes asked wide-eyed.

"He did."

Sinbad shrugged. "Thalia's being modest. She actually played a huge role."

Armakan's lips pulled into a tight line. "Fine. Sinbad, I'll entrust my little brother to you. You can take him with you as a symbol of our alliance."

"Brother!" Sharrkan broke free of Sinbad, running toward Armakan.

"Listen well." Armakan raised his head, stopping Sharrkan in his tracks. "There is no place for you in this country. As things are, your presence here will only cause more chaos… but when you have grown and found your strength, and I have suppressed this country's conflicts, come home. Return to this country someday."

Sharrkan burst into tears, and Thalia rushed to his side, sitting with him and rubbing his back soothingly.

"I'll take care of him." Sinbad lowered himself to where Thalia and Sharrkan were on the ground. "You'll want to say goodbye to Narmes, won't you?"

She nodded, standing up to approach the man who'd taken her on such a wonderful date last night.

"It was nice to meet you, Narmes," she told him, leaning toward him with just a hint of flirtation.

"You're leaving already?" he asked, scratching the back of his head.

She nodded. "My friends are ready to go."

He sighed. "I'm sorry about earlier. I just— your friend is so impressive, and I'm… not."

Clasping her hands behind her back, she took a step toward him. "I thought it was pretty impressive when you tried to protect me from Lady Patra."

He cast his eyes to the ground. "I was too afraid of hurting her to actually help."

Thalia made a dismissive noise. "You weren't in a place where you could stick up to her without it reflecting poorly on King Armakan. I actually really admire your loyalty."

He glanced up at her, blinking rapidly. "You do?"

"Mhmm."

A familiar, easy grin slid across his face. "Then, can I kiss you goodbye?"

"On the cheek," she reminded him.

He bent down and gave her a swift peck, and she did the same for him, ignoring Mystras' jeers in the background. She'd almost forgotten they weren't alone. After exchanging goodbyes, Thalia returned to her place at Sinbad's side.

* * *

Sinbad watched Thalia and Narmes exchange kisses on the cheek, shoving down his irritation. Last time, he'd been drunk and let his overprotective side get the best of him. This time, he swallowed his pride. Thalia deserved the little shards of happiness she managed to dig up.

As she walked back over, his eyes followed her. Mystras greeted her with crossed arms, and she looked at him quizzically.

"What's gotten into you lately, Mystras?"

What _had_ gotten into Mystras lately? Only a few days ago, the knight had dragged Sinbad to the brothel, but when Thalia held someone's hand, suddenly she was a "traitor to love."

Hinahoho bent down and whispered something in Thalia's ear. Whatever he said, it shocked her. She stiffened, her eyes widening.

"Mystras… do you… _like_ me?"

 _Impossible_ , Sinbad thought. While all his friends seemed to be supportive of his feelings for Thalia on some level, Mystras had been the most proactive about it, even going so far as to help him lie to Thalia when she started asking questions about why he had brought her.

Hinahoho burst out in hearty laughter as the color drained from Mystras' face.

 _Ah_. This was a prank. Sinbad sat back and watched.

"No!" Mystras shouted at Thalia. "No way! It's not like that! Hina and I have this bet—"

She eyed him skeptically, increasing his desperation.

"Tell her, Hina! Tell her!"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Hinahoho's voice came out strained as he tried to hold back laughter. "Don't worry, Thalia. I'm sure he'll move on by next year. Until then, you better not date anyone, or it will crush him."

"Crush me my ass!" Mystras looked at Thalia, who was clearly skeptical of Mystras' claim. "Thalia! You've got to believe me!"

"That's so cute, Mystras," Thalia responded cheerfully. "This whole time, I thought you were just a pervert."

 _Owch._

"I'm sorry, but I only see you as a friend. Don't worry, though, I'm sure you'll find someone someday."

Ja'far twitched. "I don't think she realizes how that sounded."

"That was painful to watch," Drakon agreed.

Sinbad imagined those words could just as easily have been directed at him. He gave one last glance to his friend, standing there with a guilty grin on her face. She must have known she'd just broken a heart, but Sinbad doubted she actually knew whose.

"Ja'far, tell them to hurry up," Sinbad instructed his friend. "We're leaving."

He turned around and began the long journey back to the direction of Cathargo.


	24. Conflict

The first night traveling back, Thalia and Sharrkan sat unobtrusively by the fire as the rest of Thalia's friends laughed gaily, recounting the events from earlier in the day. Thalia gagged when they got to Serendine's part.

"I didn't know you were such a talented orator," Ja'far praised her from his seat on the ground. "Where did you learn to argue like that?"

Serendine laughed. "Growing up with Drakon wasn't always easy."

"I wasn't _that_ bad." A red flush tinted Drakon's green cheeks.

Serendine leaned forward. "That's right. I suppose you weren't. Truthfully, I learned much of it from tutors, but there was someone who used to give me a lot of pointers." Her eyes darted subtly to Thalia. It was brief, but not enough for Thalia to miss.

Hunching over, Thalia cursed her younger self for being so eager to assist Serendine. Now, it was almost like it was _her_ fault Sinbad had lost.

"Whoever it was did a good job," Mytras gushed. "Taking on Sinbad like that isn't easy."

Scoffing, Thalia rose to her feet. "Your argument was disjointed and fell apart under the slightest scrutiny. Truly, the person you're referring to must have been a master of their craft to teach you how to pass off that sort of drivel as convincing."

The laughter around the fire died.

Sitting up straight, Serendine locked eyes with Thalia. "Yes, I believe she could still beat me in a battle of wits to this day."

"Is that so?"

"It is. I still have profound respect for her abilities." Serendine held her gaze.

As Thalia stared into her rose petal eyes, everyone around them melted away, and a beast she had locked away years ago clawed at her chest. At one time, Thalia would have done anything for the princess before her. That had been before she'd gotten tangled and tattered in Serendine's thorns.

Thalia clenched her jaw, balling her hands into fists. Serendine was still so, _so_ dangerous. The image of the broken bottle from this morning flashed into Thalia's mind— the inescapable scent of roses, that sickeningly pink glass scattered across the floor. She'd had a moment of weakness, trying to salvage the bottle, but it couldn't be put back together again. All that was left was sharp glass.

"I don't believe you," Thalia snapped, "not after what you did."

The rose petals in Serendine's eyes withered. "Thalia…"

Thalia's nails dug into her palms. "How can you pretend nothing happened! How can you even look me in the eye?"

Mystras shifted uncomfortably. "Did something just happen? Why is Thalia mad?"

Ja'far glanced in Thalia's direction. "You don't really hold Serendine responsible for what happened between your countries, do you? You know she was practically a kid, right? She didn't have any say—"

"Do you want to tell them, or should I?" Thalia's voice quivered, but she stood tall. She was so tired of keeping this secret, of watching her friends joke around with a person who'd destroyed her life. Serendine had a lot of nerve to smile when her victims would never be able to again.

Serendine rose, her chin held high. She looked down on Thalia imperiously. "I'm not sure what you're talking about."

Taking a shuddering breath, Thalia pressed on. "Oh, you don't, do you? You don't remember how you got your nickname? _"_

Serendine's eyes widened before she regained her composure. "I don't know what you heard, Thalia, but I can explain. Let's just step aside and talk—"

As Serendine spoke, her maids exchanged anxious glances. Their reactions only further cemented the truth of what Thalia had heard, and in a burst of rage, she let loose her accusation. "You want to _talk?_ " She let out a huff that resembled a laugh. "Three and a half years ago, your country invaded Attica. Your soldiers slaughtered my people. _You_ massacred my family _with your own hands_ , Serendine, and you want to _talk?_ "

"You don't know what you're talking about," Serendine said quietly.

"Is that true?" Hinahoho asked, leaning forward. "Serendine couldn't have done something like that, right?"

Standing up, Sinbad approached the fire, inserting himself between the two girls. He turned his eyes to Drakon. "Do you know anything about this?" his voice was low and severe.

Thalia straightened her spine vindictively. Her fears about Serendine misleading Sinbad had been misguided. He'd always had Thalia's back. He was her best friend, after all.

As Drakon hung his head, Serendine's maid spoke up. "Her Highness was only following orders. She was greatly distressed by everything that happened."

"Bullshit!" Thalia spat.

"You mustn't blame her!"

"Quiet, Tamira," Serendine ordered, holding up a silencing hand. "Sinbad, before you pass judgment on my actions, please give me a chance to explain privately. There are things about what happened that even Tamira and Sahel don't know."

Livid, Thalia stomped her foot into the sand. "You still think you can weasel your way out of this? How many people did you kill in the name of expanding your pathetic country? How many lives like mine did you personally destroy?"

"That's _enough,"_ Sinbad commanded. "Everyone here has had to kill at one point or another except for you, Thalia. I don't believe any of us would take the life of someone close to a dear friend without a good reason."

So now Sinbad was siding with Serendine? Thalia crossed her arms over her chest. "You're assuming she didn't befriend me just to betray me from the beginning."

Serendine remained quiet, her hands balled into fists.

"I'm not assuming anything," Sinbad corrected her. "That's why I'm going to listen to what Seren has to say, but not right now. We're in a desert teeming with bandits and I already almost lost you once." He approached Thalia, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Right now, my priority is getting both of you back alive, and that'll be easier if we stick together.

Thalia swallowed, her mouth going dry. "You don't believe me."

"I never said that," He whispered, tightening his grip on her. He looked over his shoulder to Mystras. "Mystras, you're in charge of keeping Thalia safe until I have the chance to investigate this further. She's not to be alone with Serendine, do you understand?"

Mystras nodded.

Sinbad glanced in Drakon's direction. "The same goes for you. Please look after Serendine, Tamira, and Sahel from here on out."

Drakon bowed. "I will do as you say."

Sinbad turned back to Thalia, his hands sliding down her arms. "The rest we can deal with back at the company. Is that a solution you can live with?"

Thalia's muscles locked in place, the heat from the fire stinging her face. She stared at the ground silently, her vision blurred by the tears that threatened to fall. She shouldn't have expected a different result. After all, this was Serendine. She'd kept Thalia wrapped around her finger for years, and earlier in the day, Sinbad had almost agreed to marry her. That had been a spontaneous proposition. If she had a chance to prepare an excuse, she would definitely win him over.

Thalia cursed her impulsivity. She'd known things would turn out like this if she spoke out against Serendine, but, at that moment, she'd been too wrapped up in her anger to hold back. What a fool she was.

"I can live with it," Thalia lied.

The rest of the trip back to Cathargo was painful. Masrur, Sharrkan, and even Ja'far treated Thalia normally. They spent time with her and made small talk, occasionally attempting to cheer her up. Aside from Ja'far, who was a little older and probably more mature than most adults, Thalia wasn't sure they fully understood the weight of what she had disclosed. Though, she supposed that was a good thing. She had been careless in bringing up the topic around them.

Her older friends were more fickle. Serendine had her maids, who continued to keep her company throughout the trip. Though Drakon often shot Thalia apologetic glances, he remained by Serendine's side as instructed. Mystras, too, kept close to Thalia, though he was unusually sober and didn't talk much. Hinahoho alternated between trying to pretend nothing happened and avoiding both girls entirely. She often caught him and Mystras exchanging low whispers, presumably discussing who they believed more.

It was Sinbad's lack of reaction that stung the most. He treated Thalia and Serendine as he always had. Thalia had always feared he would turn on her if she disclosed the truth about Serendine because he didn't believe her, but, somehow, this was worse. He did believe her, and he still hadn't taken her side. It was as though their bond meant nothing to him.

Upon reaching the border of Cathargo, Sinbad, Ja'far, Masrur, and Sharrkan split from her group to look for Fanalis territory. This time, Thalia hadn't been invited. Sinbad had insisted she would be safer with Mystras and Hinahoho.

As Thalia watched Sinbad and the children leave, she caught Drakon glancing at her again, accompanying Serendine a safe distance away.

Thalia nodded in response. She wasn't angry with him. He had gotten dragged into the middle of Thalia's feud with Serendine against his will. It would have been unfair to ask _him_ to pick sides. Besides, she already knew who he would choose. He'd made it clear from the day she'd first met him which of the two princesses he preferred. It was Serendine. It had always been Serendine.

"What do you want to do now, Thalia?" Mystras asked, scratching his turban. "We can get something to eat or walk around the market…"

Thalia turned to him, her hands folded over her stomach. "Can I ask you a question?"

He nodded anxiously, his eyes darting around as though he were looking for an escape.

"What do you think of Serendine?"

He scratched his chin guiltily. "I don't think about her at all. Ever. Nope, I don't even know who she is."

Sighing, Thalia walked past him, leading him toward the city. "You're a terrible liar, Mystras. It's okay if you like her. Even I used to." Over her shoulder, she shot him a reassuring smile. As soon as she turned her gaze back forward, she let it drop. It really wasn't okay, but what else could she do?

"Sinbad trusts her, and I trust Sinbad. I think he might have even thought she was cute—" Mystras cut himself off, apparently realizing he wasn't helping.

"Is that so?" Stopping in her tracks, Thalia felt something wet trickle down her cheek.

"Hey, watch where you're going, hag!" Someone small bumped into her from behind.

"Hm?" Thalia turned around to get a better look. The boy had long, black hair pulled into a braid. Ruby red eyes glared up at her, and in his small, chubby hands was some kind of small stick with a gem on the end. Thalia knelt down to his eye level. "Pardon me, I wasn't aware there was anyone behind me."

"Thalia's not a hag," Mystras defended her, crossing his arms and glaring down at the child. "She's not that old yet."

 _Yet…_ Thalia's smile faltered, and she had to fight back the urge to glare at Mystras.

The little boy studied her face stained by a single tear. "You're really pathetic, huh? Crying is for babies. I haven't cried since I was three."

Thalia tilted her head, putting on a friendly expression for the child's sake. She wasn't exactly crying because she wanted to. "Sometimes, when people are sad, crying makes them feel better. What's your name, little guy?"

"Pff" The boy crossed his arms. "I'm not a little guy."

Thalia nodded agreeably. "You're right, you're right. You're big and strong! How silly of me."

"That's right, I am. The name's Judar."

Scanning the empty street, she looked for his guardian. "Judar, are you alone? Where are your parents?"

"I don't have parents, idiot." Turning his head away, he made a sour face.

Thalia frowned. He wasn't dressed like anyone else around here. The fabric and design of his clothing were totally unfamiliar. Was he from the east? "Judar, you didn't come to Cathargo alone, did you? Who brought you?"

"Nobody!" He threw his arms up in exasperation. "Don't you get it? I'm a magi. I teleported here with my incredible magic."

 _What a creative imagination this kid has…_

Folding her arms, Thalia stood up. "Mystras, we can't leave him here. He could get hurt."

"I don't need you to pretend to be my mommy, Lady." The boy held out his stick threateningly. "If anyone messes with me, I'll blow their brains out with my ice magic!"

"He seems a little unhinged," Mystras whispered in her ear. "Are you sure it's okay?"

"He's barely as tall as Sharrkan," she whispered back. "What, are you scared?"

Mystras pulled back and glowered at her. "Fine."

Thalia gave him a smug look before kneeling down to Judar's height again. "O great magi, we're sorry for not recognizing you sooner. Surely someone as important as you is here on a mission, right?"

"Right!" Judar beamed. "I'm looking for someone, the person who captured my dungeon! Have you seen anyone with a metal vessel?"

Thalia and Mystras exchanged glances.

"That would be Serendine, right?" the knight wondered aloud.

Thalia pursed her lips. "It can't be her. How could news have already spread? We just got here."

Rolling his eyes, Judar groaned. "What are you, stupid? A magi can always tell when his dungeon's been captured. Don't you know anything?"

Biting the side of her cheek, Thalia raised her eyebrows. "Alright. We'll help you look for your dungeon capturer."

"Hold on," Judar narrowed his eyes at her. "I don't need help. Don't you get it? I'm more powerful than you'll ever be."

Nodding, Thalia held her hands out in a placative gesture. "But as someone so important, it's only natural you have servants to order around, right?"

He perked up. "I'm listening."

Thalia motioned to Mystras. "We want to serve you in any way we can, o great magi. Please allow us to remain by your side for a bit longer."

Grinning, Judar walked past them, waving his bejeweled stick around. "You're not _totally_ stupid after all. Come on, you two. I'll put you to work."

"We should have left him on his own," Mystras muttered.

Thalia let out a small giggle, rising to follow their new little master. "He's certainly interesting."

First, they accompanied Judar through the administrative district, where he argued with a guard for denying him access to an area. In retaliation, he threatened to blow up the nearest building. Thalia had to convince the guard that, of course, it was a joke, and the child didn't know any better. They then traipsed through the residential districts where Judar angered a dog by trespassing. When he pointed his stick at the creature instead of running, Mystras valiantly threw himself in harm's way, fending the dog off with his lance. It took Thalia and Mystras's combined efforts to steer Judar clear of the red light district, and by the time they wound up in the market, his two exhausted chaperones were lagging behind.

"The metal vessel is getting closer," Judar muttered. "I can sense it."

"Oh, thank goodness," Mystras whimpered.

Thalia put her hand on his arm empathetically. "Hang in there. He's gotta find the person he's looking for sooner or later."

"There!" Judar zoomed off toward a head of pink hair and a hulking man bundled in robes, feet not touching the ground.

Thalia and Mystras froze.

"Did he just…?"

"He flew."

"Do you think he was telling the truth about being a magi?"

"He _flew,_ Thalia!"

"..."

"Like _woosh!_ "

Thalia and Mystras approached Serendine's group, listening in on their conversation. Judar explained that Serendine was his "king" because she'd conquered the dungeon he'd brought forth. He wanted to help her take back Parthevia, but she refused to give an answer without Sinbad's permission.

"I don't know why you're waiting," Thalia mumbled under her breath. "How could he say no to the girl he almost agreed to marry?"

"Thalia…" Mystras put a hand on her shoulder, but Thalia shrugged it off. Serendine could have her metal vessel and her magi and her perfect husband who thought she was cute, and things would fall into place for her the way they always had. Thalia would continue to fight and scramble for every little victory.

"I'm going to the inn," she told him. "I should be safe in my room. Go enjoy yourself with Hinahoho, okay?"

"But Sinbad said—"

Thalia whipped around, fighting to keep her voice steady. "I want to be alone. Please…"

"At least let me help you get checked in," Mystras offered.

Pulling her lips into a thin line, Thalia nodded. She could let him do that much, at least.

Once settled in her room, Thalia threw herself on the bed, curling into a ball and letting tears soak the blanket beneath her. Judar had been a decent diversion, but now there was no one left. No one was willing to choose her over Serendine, not even the bratty kid she'd picked up off the street. Serendine was just too bright, and Thalia was a black hole.

For hours, Thalia lay motionless until she heard a knock on the window. At first, she ignored it. She was on the third floor, so the idea of someone being able to reach was preposterous. Then it came again.

Sitting up abruptly, she stared out the glass pain into the darkness. A small, ruby-eyed boy waved at her impatiently.

"Judar?" She pried open the window, letting the small Magi in. "I thought you were with Serendine!"

"Eh, I'll be spending plenty of time with her from now on." His eyes took on a gleam that sent shivers down Thalia's spine. "I thought I'd get to know _you_ better. After all, you've got potential."

Perking up, Thalia brushed her hair behind her ear. Maybe Judar had chosen Thalia after all. He might have thought she had more potential to rule than Serendine. "What do you mean?"

He shrugged. "Well, you don't have a lot of magoi, and physically you're lacking, but you know what you're not short on? Anger and despair. I can practically smell it on you."

"Oh." Thalia deflated. He was such a strange kid, acting like that was something to be excited about. "Magi can smell emotions?"

Flopping onto her bed in front of her, he made a displeased grunt. "Not _literally_."

Bringing a hand to her cheek, Thalia apologized. "I'm sorry. You'll have to forgive me. I don't know how this whole magi thing works."

"All you need to know is that I'm powerful." Judar stared up at the ceiling. "So, naturally, you should try to get on my good side."

Thalia nodded. "I see. and getting on your good side would require…?"

His red eyes slid toward Thalia, and he broke out into a sly grin. "Peaches."

Sighing, Thalia crawled out of her bed and grabbed her coin purse. She didn't know if she'd find any in Carthago, but if she could get a magi on her side, it was worth a try.

Putting her hand on the door, she paused, remembering Sinbad's orders. "First, we have to go get Mystras. He should be staying in the room next to me."

"We don't need him," Judar said, zooming to her side. "He's useless."

Thalia's grip tightened around the doorknob. Judar could get away with a lot of things. He could call her a hag and insult her all he wanted, but Mystras was another matter. "He's my _friend._ "

"Is he really, though?" Judar gave her that piercing stare again, and Thalia swallowed thickly. It was as though he could see right through her, into the darkness inside her. "I think he just tolerates you. They all do."

Thalia took a step back. The truth was, she'd been wondering the same thing all day. If they had to choose between her and Serendine, wouldn't they all throw Thalia away without a second thought? All she was, all she would ever be, was a slave with scars. No one wanted her.

"Why would you say something like that?" she choked out.

Judar shrugged dismissively, and Thalia bent down to his level, firmly gripping his shoulder.

"You shouldn't talk to people like that. How would you feel if I said something like that to you?"

Judar met her eyes. "It wouldn't bother me."

"And why is that?" she demanded, her voice quaking. She wasn't about to let a child toy with her emotions like this.

"I don't know," he rubbed his hair gingerly. "If I think about stuff like that too much, my head hurts."

Taking a deep breath, Thalia calmed herself. Whatever his reasoning for poking at her insecurities, they didn't seem malicious. If Judar was acting out, perhaps all he needed was kindness. She stood back up, holding her hand out to him.

"Forget about it. Let's go find us some peaches, okay? Just you and me."

* * *

Thalia didn't know what was wrong with her. There was this pervasive emptiness that permeated everything she tried to do. If she went out to lunch with Mystras, it was there. If he and Hinahoho took her to watch street performers, it was there. It was always just there— inescapable and unyielding. She couldn't even fake enthusiasm anymore. She was just so, so tired.

After a couple of days, Thalia gave up, holing herself away in her room. Hinahoho, and Mystras both took turns visiting or sometimes bringing food. At first, she had invited them in, but the number of things hanging unsaid in the air grew to be unbearable. She began to turn them away, preferring solitude. Judar was the only visitor she would accept, and that was partly because he would yell obnoxiously from outside her window until she let him in.

When Judar wasn't busy trying to get into Thalia's head, he wrangled sweets out of her. He seemed to have a particular fondness for peaches, but just about anything sweet would do. For him, at least, she made an effort. Her friends were mature enough to understand she wasn't feeling well. Judar was just a kid. She remembered when her mother had spells like this, how she would cry in her room and refuse to see Thalia. She remembered believing it was her fault. She refused to put another child through that.

This went on for two weeks until the young magi peeked his head in her window." Shitty Hag, your boyfriend is back!"

She'd been sitting alone in her bed, something she did a lot ever since they'd returned to Carthago. She would have been startled, but by now she'd grown used to him appearing this way. He seemed to prefer levitating to using stairs like a normal person. Thalia opened the window to let him in and sat back down on the bed.

"Boyfriend?" Thalia asked, puzzled. The closest thing she'd ever had to a boyfriend was Narmes, but they'd only been on one date. That didn't make him her boyfriend.

Judar furrowed his eyebrows. "That Sinbad guy. He's not your boyfriend? From the face you make every time he comes up in conversation, I could have sworn—" Realization dawned on his face, and his lips pulled into a cruel grin. "Don't tell me— it's one-sided."

Thalia ignored his teasing. "You said Sin is back?"

Judar's grin merely widened. "It _is_ one-sided, isn't it?" He cackled mean spiritedly. "Oh, man! Your life is so miserable!"

"I need a bath. I can't let him see me like this," she groaned. She hadn't had the energy to keep up with her hygiene lately, but suddenly she regretted not trying harder. "Judar, I'll be right back. While I'm gone, can you, like, I don't know, magic some clothing clean?"

Judar glared at her. "You think I'm your maid? I am a great _magi!_ My powers cannot be abused for such trivial matters!"

Thalia eyed him skeptically, remembering all the times he'd used magic in front of her for less important reasons. "Yes, I know. Remember those peaches I bought you the other night? I have a few coins left over. I can probably afford some more for little boys who help me out."

"Fine, fine! Go take your bath. You reek." He made a show of plugging his nose and fanning the air in front of his face.

* * *

Sinbad took the stairs up to the third floor, where Mystras had told him Thalia's room was. From what he and Hinahoho had reported, she'd become increasingly withdrawn ever since her outburst.

Sinbad still wasn't sure if he could have handled the situation better. From Thalia's perspective, there must not be a reason in the world she would accept for why Serendine would have killed her family. Yet, Serendine was hardly the only one with blood on her hands. If he held her accountable for her past, might he have to send Ja'far, Vittel, and Mahad away someday? Even the bandits they had defended Thalia from likely had families now suffering the pain of losing a loved one.

Even if he wanted to send Serendine away, where else was she going to go? She didn't have anyone to take her in. Not to mention, if his trusted advisors started choosing sides between the two princesses, it could cause a rift that would destroy the company.

With all these facts in mind, he knocked on Thalia's door.

"What do you want?" The door cracked open, and an unexpected voice answered, sounding annoyed.

"Judar?" Sinbad furrowed his eyebrows. "I thought you were with Serendine."

The child opened the door the rest of the way and waved a hand dismissively. "The shitty hag is more fun to mess with."

"Shitty Hag?" Sinbad peeked around the room. Thalia was nowhere to be found.

"If you're looking for Thalia, she went to go take a bath," Judar said, crossing his arms and leaning against the door frame.

"Then I'll wait in here," Sinbad forced his way past the younger boy.

"No way," Judar protested. "She's taking me to get peaches when she gets done. You'll just be a distraction."

"She can buy you peaches after I say hello." Sinbad wasn't about to let a brat of a magi keep him from Thalia, especially not now. She clearly wasn't well.

Judar tried to shove Sinbad back out the door, but Sinbad stood firm.

"Sin?" Thalia's warm, familiar voice greeted his ears, but something about it was off. It was lackluster, devoid of its usual spark.

Sinbad twisted around to see his friend clad in nothing but an oversized robe, water still dripping from her hair.

"What are you two doing?" she asked, tilting her head curiously. "Judar?"

Judar rushed to Thalia's side, tugging on her hand. "Let's go get peaches now!"

Thalia didn't take her eyes off Sinbad. She tore away from the child, taking a tentative step forward. "Judar, I haven't seen Sinbad in a week. Why don't you let us catch up for a bit? You did what I asked, didn't you?"

The boy nodded eagerly. After rummaging around in her bag for a moment, Thalia pulled some coins out and pressed them into his grubby little hands.

"Will you be okay getting the peaches by yourself?"

Judar nodded vigorously and left via the window. She sighed, running her fingers through her hair before turning to face Sinbad.

He didn't know what to say. How could he tell his best friend that he understood how much this situation was hurting her, but that he couldn't do the one thing that would put her at ease? How could he explain that, as much as he wanted her to feel at home in the company, he couldn't put her first? He had to be selfish.

Finally, Thalia surprised him by speaking. "Can we talk about it now?"

Sinbad nodded, sitting down on her bed and motioning for her to follow suit. He wasn't sure what he was going to say, but she deserved an effort.

She sat down next to him, looking down at her hands in her lap.

"Where do you want to start?" He asked.

"I'm a little mad at you," she confessed, gripping her robes tightly. "I thought if anyone was going to back me up, it would be you."

"I have to consider the company," Sinbad told her, moving to take her hand. She'd let him hold it on the way back from the dungeon, and the action had been a great comfort for him. Maybe he could do the same for her.

As soon as he touched her hand, she withdrew it. Sinbad sighed. He wasn't sure what else he could do to cheer her up.

"I have to ask… you were away from Attica for so long. How did you find out about this, Thalia?"

"You don't believe me," she snapped, finally meeting his eyes.

Scratching his hair awkwardly, he tried to calm her back down. "I told you; I believe you. It's just, I want to know how long you've been keeping this to yourself."

She crossed her arms over her chest, casting him a sideways glance. "I overheard two women talking about it on Ria Venus Island."

Letting out a deep breath, he allowed his tense shoulders to relax. She'd overheard gossip. Maybe there was still a chance this was a misunderstanding. If there was any chance at all to resolve this peacefully, he was going to try.

"I don't even see why this is a discussion, Sin!" Thalia shot up impatiently. "Ask Drakon if it's true! He'll say yes!"

"I will ask him," Sinbad assured her, "and I'm going to ask Serendine too."

He watched his friend pace furiously back and forth until he became dizzy. Standing up, he caught her by the arm, spinning her to face him. "This isn't something new for you. You've been living with the person who killed your family for months and never said a thing to me. Why?"

Her muscles relaxed under his grip, and her hard expression softened. Suddenly, she seemed like her old self.

Her eyes cast downward, she answered. "I was afraid. I didn't want to stir up trouble. I didn't want to be rejected. I had a lot of reasons."

After all this time, she didn't think she could trust him with something so important? Sinbad trusted her with his life. Finding out she couldn't even tell him with a secret this important stung.

"Damn it, Thalia. What do I have to do to earn your trust?"

She was silent for a long time before she finally answered. "I do trust you."

The words sent a wave of relief crashing over him. He'd been afraid that his handling of the Serendine situation had opened a rift between them that couldn't be repaired.

"No more secrets, then." He moved his hands to her shoulders, gripping them firmly. "From now on, we're a team. We're going to work together to take back your country and found mine. Alright?"

"A team…?" She tasted the words on her lips, a smile tugging at their ends. "So you won't act like a tyrant anymore?"

"I'm still your boss," he assured her, "but the main thing is, we're going to work together. No hiding, no secrecy."

She nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah. I like that."

"Of course you do," he teased. "It was my idea."

He expected her to protest, but instead pink crept into her cheeks. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but no words came out, just a quiet squeak.

Tilting his head, he watched her curiously. This was new. Usually, she had some sort of comeback, or she at least called him a—

"Tyrant," she finally muttered.

Ah, here it was. He'd been worried for a moment that she was broken.

He gave her a pat on the head and her shoulders hunched in response.

He sighed, relieved he had managed to diffuse the situation without casualties. Thalia didn't seem particularly angry. In fact, she was unusually docile. He wasn't sure what had brought about this change in attitude, but he wasn't complaining. She always seemed to have some kind of comeback to whatever he said. He found it charming, but this side of her was cute too. He wouldn't mind seeing it more often.


	25. Bandages

Ya'll... I have no self control. So, here's your second chapter for the week. I have a Frankenstein's monster of a chapter that should be ready by next week, so I think it'll be fine. Thanks to Addicted-to-GazettE once again for beta reading, though I've made so many edits since she last looked at it that she might not even recognize it. Also, I got so many reviews last chapter. Thank you so much! Don't be afraid to tell me if you feel like Thalia's characterization is lacking. If you see opportunities where I could have built her up more or moments when she seems out of character, let me know! I want to improve, but I'm pretty blind to a lot of my flaws. It's also just fun to hear your reactions. So enjoy and review!

* * *

The next day, Thalia met her friends in front of the tavern with all her things packed in her bag. Now that Serendine and her maids had left on a separate ship, she felt a million times lighter. It was like she could finally breathe again. She smiled at the others apologetically, letting them know she was okay now. Guilt twinged inside her for rebuffing all their attempts to reach out to her, but she had needed her space. She knew they would understand. They were her friends.

"Good morning. Are you ready to leave out?" Sinbad asked her brightly.

She nodded, falling quietly into step behind her boisterous friends.

Last night, something strange had happened. She'd started to feel shy around her best friend. He'd made a joke inflating his own importance, but she had found herself unable to disagree with what he was saying. Instead, she'd become tongue tied. He probably thought she was an idiot now after watching her stammer like that.

As they rounded a corner, she decided today would be different. They were leaving the dark continent and heading back to Balbadd. None of these strange feelings about her friend had started until they'd landed in this strange place. The wildness of the continent must have been messing with her head. She would go home, back to the routine and mundane, and everything would be back to normal between them— no more pounding hearts and racing thoughts, no more jealousy. Once she boarded the ship, she would be fine again.

Their ship came into sight, and she raced ahead, grateful for the vessel that would carry her back to sanity.

"Aye, lassie. 'Tis a pleasure to see you again," the Captain Reis greeted Thalia as she boarded. She nodded at him in acknowledgement, supposing that now that he'd shuttled her around for a total of four weeks without incident, he was finally understanding his prejudice against women was illogical.

Her friends followed shortly behind her, tossing their bags aside. The ones her age, of course, all helped prepare the ship to disembark.

Thalia sat down with Masrur and Sharrkan, staying out of the way. She felt like an overgrown child next to the two boys, just watching the others work. She felt like she should be helping, but she had no idea how.

That's it, she decided, I'm going to learn as much about this ship as I can. From now on, I'm going to be useful.

Over the next few days, Nasha became the victim of her curiosity, constantly hounded by her questions.

"What's that?"

"What does this do?"

"How do I do this?"

Her questions were endless, but he answered them all with the patience of a saint. It was suspicious. Since when had "Nasha" and "saint" become a possible combination of words? Still, he seemed to have improved his attitude somewhat. Over the coming days, her opinion of him began to soften. She no longer found him repulsive. She'd even begun to enjoy his company.

Today again, on the seventh day of their voyage, as the winds blew stronger than usual and the boat swayed beneath her feet, she sought him out. He stood with his long hair pulled back, surveying his underlings.

"Nasha," she tapped the redhead on the shoulder to get his attention. "What are those little platforms way up there called?" She pointed toward the top of one of the masts.

He craned his head around, his lips twisting into an easy grin upon seeing her.

"Those are called crow's nests. We use them to scout out further ahead than we could from down here."

"Oh," she breathed, swinging from side to side with her hands clasped behind her back.

"And that little door?" She pointed to the hatch leading to below the deck.

He turned all the way to face her this time.

"That's called a scuttle."

Thalia groaned. "Why not just call it a hatch? Why does everything have to have a weird name?"

Nasha laughed heartily. "They're not so weird once you get used to them, but you can call it a hatch if you want. We'll know what you mean. Has anyone told you about the poop deck, yet?"

"That's the tallest deck, right above the captain's quarters," she announced proudly. That had been one of the first words she learned on her voyages.

"Not bad," he smiled, tangling his arm in one of the dangling ropes. "Maybe you should join us in the seafaring life. We could use someone to work the galley."

"Galley?"

"The kitchen."

Thalia frowned. "I'm no kitchen maid. I'd rather be the captain."

"You're quite ambitious," he observed. "Then, when you get your own ship, why don't you let me be your first mate?"

"First mate?" She crossed her arms in front of her chest. "No, I've already got someone in line for that position. I do have a open spot in the galley, though."

"You wound me," he lamented, faking a pain in his heart.

Thalia laughed at his antics, leaving him to revel in the heartbreak of rejection for the seventh time in seven days. She leaned over the boat railings— no, Nasha had told her they were called the gunwale— reviewing all the information she'd learned that day.

A motion in the corner of her eye caught her attention. Turning her head, she smiled, finding her dearest friend— her teammate— had joined her. As she had suspected, once they were away from the dark continent, things had become less confusing between them. She and Sinbad had resumed their comfortable friendship, and she hadn't stammered in front of him since that last night in Carthago.

"Sin, what's that thing called again?" She pointed to a large beam pointing out diagonally from the ship's forecastle.

"That's the bowsprit," he replied.

"And it's used to connect those little sails up there, right?"

Sinbad's eyebrows raised. "That's not the most elegant definition, but yes. Who taught you that?"

She gave a sweet smile. "Nasha's a good teacher, don't you think?"

His lips pulled into a thin line. "You've been spending a lot of time with him."

"Is he complaining about me?" Thalia worried she'd been annoying him with her ceaseless questioning, but he'd appeared not to mind it so far.

"Complaining? No, he's been bragging," Sinbad huffed. "You should stay away from him. I don't like the way he talks about you behind your back."

Thalia's stomach twisted into a knot. "What does he say?" She gripped the gunwale as the boat began to rock more noticeably than before.

Sinbad ran his fingers through his hair. "Don't worry about it. We all know none of it is true."

Letting go of the gunwale, she turned to Sinbad.

"What's not true? What has he been saying about me?"

Sinbad shook his head. "You won't find out from me, so don't waste your time."

Thalia kicked the boards underneath her feet. What had he said less than a day ago about not keeping secrets from each other? Once again, the others were keeping things from her, trying to protect her from her own feelings. How immature must she look in their eyes.

A strong gust of wind caressed her bare arms, causing her to shiver.

"Are you cold?" her companion asked. Without waiting for an answer, he wrapped his coat around her shoulders. His gesture had been unnecessary. She easily could have gone to fetch her shawl. Still, she pulled it tightly around her, flattered by his concern. Breathing in deeply, she inhaled its calming ocean scent.

"Did you just sniff my jacket?" His eyes glimmered, all the possibilities of how he would tease her for this swimming just beneath their surface.

"No," she quickly rushed to defend herself, the weight of the previous conversation lifting immediately. "I was breathing. Humans do that, you know."

"Ohhh," he said, drawing the sound out as though he'd just come to an understanding. "So you weren't sniffing. You were just breathing in deeply with your nose pointed toward my jacket."

"Exactly."

"I'm pretty sure that's the dictionary definition of sniffing."

Her cheeks growing warm, all she could think to say was, "Your soap. I like it."

"Hey," he responded in a low voice. "Can I tell you a secret?"

She nodded stiffly as he leaned in.

"I like your soap too."

Already unsteady from his proximity, she flew sideways as the ship rocked violently, nearly throwing her over the edge. Sinbad caught her by the arm, and, pulling her against his chest, muttered a profanity.

"Let's head indoors. If the water's churning like this, there's probably a storm on the horizon, and a bad one at that."

Thalia found it hard to pry herself away from him. He was so much warmer and smelled a million times better than his jacket. Maybe the dark continent hadn't been the reason she'd been acting strangely in front of him. Maybe the problem was inside her.

"Thalia, did you hear me?"

She reluctantly pulled away to acknowledge she had indeed heard him.

"That must have scared you quite a bit." he observed, misinterpreting her silence. "Come on." He guided her below deck, where her friends and several of the crew were playing a card game. Sinbad watched the idle sailors incredulously.

"What are you doing?" he addressed everyone. "There's a storm coming. We're going to need all of you to navigate through it."

All but the youngest of her friends immediately rushed above deck, but the sailors scowled.

"You're not the captain. You have no right to order us around."

The boat lurched and Captain Reis' irritated shouts for the rest of the crew to get to work bled through the wood. Sinbad watched them scramble out the door with a satisfied grin.

"I'm going out there too. You three stay here."

Thalia nodded, understanding that now was not the time to try to prove her worth. She removed his jacket from her shoulders.

"Stay warm," she told him, handing him his garment.

He raised an eyebrow.

"That sounded like an order, Princess."

Thalia hadn't thought about her comment that way, but now that he mentioned it...

"It was," Thalia decided. "You're to guide this ship safely through the storm without catching a cold."

He grinned, leaning toward her and steadying her as the boat heaved once again.

"I suppose I'm not a king yet, but don't think you can order me around. I'm still your boss."

"Who do you think is going to have to care for you if you get sick?" Thalia complained. "I'm a stakeholder in your health. I get some say."

He laughed, surprised at her response.

"Alright. I can't argue with that logic. One more thing. Before the storm gets too bad, be sure to put out that lamp. Fire and wood don't mix." He pointed to the lamp swaying on the ceiling.

"I understand," Thalia told him.

He headed back above the deck, leaving Thalia alone with two children, the swinging lamp, and the sound of boots clamoring above her head for company.

She smiled at the boys sitting across the table from her, searching for a topic that might interest them."

"Masrur, did you find fanalis territory like you had hoped?"

"No." His usually flat affect held a hint of disappointment. "There's nothing left. Slave traders took them all."

Thalia felt sympathy for the boy. He wasn't good at expressing his emotions, but the fact that he had asked to come on this journey spoke volumes about how excited he had been at the prospect of meeting others like him.

"I'm sorry. I can't imagine—"

"Still, I'm glad I came."

"Oh?" she grunted, as though it were a question.

"Even if nothing is left, it's the land of the fanalis." He stared at Thalia, red eyes burning with intensity. "If you ever get a chance to go back home, you should take it. Your homeland is a part of you."

Thalia gaped at him. He always surprised her by how mature he was for his age. She collected herself and thanked him for his advice. This thoughtfulness was a seed she wanted to nurture.

Next, she turned to Sharrkan.

"Was this your first adventure away from the palace?"

He nodded. "It was really cool. Masrur and I captured a band of slave traders and saved a whole village."

Thalia coughed. "I think I misheard. Did you say you watched while Sinbad and Ja'far did this?"

Sharrkan puffed up proudly. "Nope. Masrur and I did it by ourselves."

Thalia took a deep breath. It was fine. They weren't dead. Masrur's cloak shifted and she noticed large scabs on his arms. She gripped the sides of her seat tightly. How had Sinbad and Ja'far allowed this to happen? She fought the urge to immediately go chew them out for being so irresponsible. Masrur was only seven and Sharrkan was nine. They were much too young to be fighting by themselves.

"We're both stronger than you," Masrur reminded her, as though he had read her mind.

The patter of rain began to beat against the wood above her head and the crash of thunder rumbled. She pursed her lips in response to Masrur's words. She wasn't going to be fighting any slave traders either, so that point didn't make her feel better.

"I'm going to turn off the lamp," she told the children as the storm continued to pick up.

"Won't it be dark? I don't like the dark." Sharrkan pouted.

"You're brave," Thalia encouraged him. "I know you are. You just told me you and Masrur took on slave traders by yourselves."

She started to stand up, but Sharrkan interrupted her. "I just don't like the dark. It reminds me of the family tomb. Can we keep it on a little longer?"

Thalia sat back down. She didn't blame him for being nervous in that tomb. It had even spooked her a little. "I guess it can wait, but just for a little while, okay?"

Sharrkan nodded, satisfied with the compromise.

Minutes later, Thalia was tapping the underside of her seat impatiently when a wave crashed into them. She fell out of the bolted down chair and was thrown against the hull of the ship.

"Are you okay?" Sharrkan asked, clinging more tightly to his own chair.

"You two stay there. Don't move from your seats unless I tell you to, okay?"

The two boys agreed. Thalia moved her attention from them to the lamp swinging dangerously close to the wooden ceiling.

"I'm going to turn off the lamp for real this time," she told Masrur and Sharrkan. The two boys nodded again, Sharrkan huddling nervously toward Masrur.

As the ship began to rock in the opposite direction, she took the opportunity to grab on to the chair she had been sitting in earlier, using it to pull herself up onto the table. Holding onto the sides, she tried to steady herself. At the right moment, she would rise up, take the lamp down, and extinguish it.

She waited, paying attention to the rhythm of the boat's swaying until she was confident in her measurements. Her arms brought the lamp down swiftly, nimble fingers turning off the kerosine valve that powered it.

Now, the room was disorientingly dark, like a tomb. Losing her balance, she was thrown off the table, knocking her head against something hard. Bright lightning flashed before her eyes upon impact. She blinked away the green afterimages, struggling to find her way to the stairs that would lead her out of the darkness. She didn't even know which direction she had fallen in. She called out to the boys.

"Masrur? Sharrkan?" she slurred, "Are you... okay?"

Sharrkan's sniffle came from behind her. "Are you..." She couldn't understand the rest of what he was saying, but his voice provided a way to orient herself. She turned around in his direction.

A sense of relief washed over her as a dull light flooded in. The sound of boots clapped down the stairs. Had Sinbad come to check on her? His gait sounded different. Why was he limping? Was he hurt too?

"Thought ye could hide here in the dark, did ye?"

No, it wasn't Sinbad. It was...

"Captain Reis?" She crawled clumsily toward him, unable to determine where the floor was located underneath her.

"Ye almost had me fooled with yer womanly guiles. Did ye think I wouldn't hear about ye seducing me crew members? The gods sent this storm as punishment for lettin' ye board to tempt me men."

"Guiles? What? No, I—" She collapsed onto her elbow and pulled herself back up.

Large hands wrapped around her waist and flung her over a shoulder. She felt like a ragdoll. She didn't want him touching her like this. She started to complain, but the racketous pain in her head drowned out whatever she'd been about to say, leaving her with nothing but confused thoughts. Instead, she listened to the Captain's ranting.

"Denying it, are ye?" he mused. "No matter. Take it up with the gods when you meet them."

Sharrkan started to stand up, but Masrur pulled him back down forcefully.

"She said don't move," Masrur reminded him flatly.

Thalia felt a well of pride at Masrur's obedience. She gave him a small thumbs up, and he nodded in response. Sharrkan looked entirely uncomfortable with the situation, seemingly ready to spring up at any moment. She pursed her lips, shaking her head. They were safer in their seats. She wouldn't want them to knock their heads too.

Captain Reis carried her up the stairs into the torrents of rain battering the deck. She tried to understand what was happening. Maybe he realized she was hurt and was taking her to her friends. He must be trying to help her.

"Stop!" Sharrkan's voice called after them. She heard him exchanging muffled whispers with Masrur. She was glad they'd become such good friends, exchanging secrets like this.

The captain carried her past Nasha, who was tugging tightly on the boat's rigging as he tried to steer the sails. He glanced back and spotted her and Captain Reis.

"Captain! What the hell are you doing?" he called, dropping his rope.

"This 'ere woman is the cause of this tempest. I'm..." His voice became garbled

He was what? Thalia hadn't understood that last part. Her head throbbed.

"That's insane!" Nasha shouted. "Think about what you're doing! You're murdering an innocent girl! Thalia, what are you doing? Fight back!"

Fight? Was she in danger? Maybe the captain was trying to protect her, but Nasha didn't seem to think she was safe with him. She pounded weakly on Captain Reis' back.

"Lemme down," she slurred. "Nasha says I'm in trouble."

"Shit," Nasha spat. "What the hell's wrong with her?" He lunged forward, restraining the captain. "Ravi!" he bellowed, "Where's Sinbad?"

Ravi looked up, having not yet noticed the commotion. "He's at the helm! Why, what… What's Captain doing with Thalia?"

"Nevermind that! Go get that bastard and bring him over here!"

Thalia relaxed.

"You can let me go now," She told the captain, who was struggling against Nasha and shouting vulgarities. "Sin's coming. He'll protect me."

"The hell are you saying, Thalia? I'm protecting you right now," Nasha growled.

Thalia looked up to see Sharrkan and Masrur emerge from the hatch and dash in her direction. Masrur ran behind her, blocking the captain's path.

"He said stop," Masrur grunted. Thalia couldn't see what was happening, but the captain had stopped struggling and began to fall limp. Sharrkan was prepared, catching her as Captain Reis tumbled backwards and dragging her away from him.

"Seats," she muttered. "I told you to stay."

"I'm sorry. We couldn't," Sharrkan told her.

"Thalia?" Sinbad's voice called her name over the whipping wind and torrential rain. Thalia looked around, trying to find him.

When he came into focus, he was rushing toward her, his balance not even remotely thrown off by the rocking of the ship. Thalia reached out for him like a child when she saw him. He was warmth, he was safety. She didn't understand what was happening, but she knew with him, she would be safe.

He pulled her away from Sharrkan and into his arms.

"Ravi, Ja'far." He looked to the two boys coming up behind him. "Take Captain Reis to the hold and return to your positions. Nasha, man the helm. The storm is already starting to ease up. You should be able to take it from here. Sharrkan, Masrur, great job. Go dry off."

The five subordinates nodded, following their respective orders.

She smiled, reaching up to touch his smooth face. He really would look dumb with a beard, she thought.

He seemed to have heard her mental insult. He returned her smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.

He carried her into the crew's quarters and set her down gingerly on his bed. When he withdrew his hand from the back of her head, it was covered in blood.

"Did Captain Reis do this to you?" he asked gravely, staring at his blood-soaked hand.

"No," she frowned, attempting to mirror his solemnity as she tried to remember. "I think… I fell."

Sinbad sighed.

"You climbed up on the table to turn off the lantern?"

"Yeah." She winced as a sharp pain flared up in her head.

"Thalia, there's a tool you could have used to take it down."

"Seriously?" She giggled, thinking about how obvious that should have been. "I didn't know."

Rubbing her cheek with his thumb, he asked, "What happened next?"

"I'm not sure," she confessed, tucking her legs in under her. "My thoughts are... fuzzy."

"You probably have a concussion," he observed. "I'm going to disinfect the wound, then we'll get you into dry clothing, okay?"

She nodded obediently.

Sinbad found the first aid kit in the corner and rummaged around in it, soaking a rag with gin and returning to her side. She swore as he placed the cloth against her wound, making it burn.

"I hope it hurts," he scolded her. "This is your punishment. Who do you think gets stuck taking care of you when you get hurt? I'm a stakeholder in your health. I get a say."

Between winces, Thalia released a pained chuckle, recognizing his words as her own from earlier.

"Sorry for saving the ship," she replied sarcastically, her words slurring a little.

"You better be. You're my valuable employee."

"And you're my tyrant boss."

Sinbad started wrapping white gauze around her head. He paused, drawing his head back in realization.

"I'm going to make you look like Mystras, okay?"

She cackled, swaying slightly. Finally, he was speaking her language. She felt like getting into a little mischief. He'd been so serious up to this point, and all she wanted was to laugh a little.

"We need a feather," she suggested.

Sinbad broke into a large grin. "I think Ja'far brought a quill."

"Go get it!" Thalia couldn't control her laughter as Sinbad rustled through Ja'far's bag until he found the quill.

"There we go," Sinbad said, sticking it into her bandaging.

"How do I look?" She asked, preening for him.

He studied her, his eyes glowing with warmth. "Like a true knight of Sasan."

"Things finally calmed down up there," Ja'far announced, coming in with Mystras in tow. He looked at Thalia's bandaging. "Is that my quill?"

Thalia and Sinbad burst out laughing.

"Is that supposed to look like my turban?" Mystras asked, touching the cloth around his head delicately. Thalia wondered if the joke had been in poor taste, but then he continued, "Come on, guys. You still need a jewel to pin on there. Then no one will be able to tell us apart."

"I bet... Drakon has a brooch," she snickered. "He would have a brooch."

"Is she okay?" Ja'far asked as Sinbad left her side to rummage around in Drakon's bag. "She seems a little…"

"She just hit her head," Sinbad explained, pulling out a jeweled pin. Thalia had been right in her assessment of Drakon's packing priorities. "I'm sure she'll recover in a few days. At least she's in a good mood."

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Thalia assured him between titters.

Ja'far let out a beleaguered sigh. "You should change into dry clothes and get some rest, Thalia."

"Is Thalia in here?" Mystras asked playfully as Sinbad pinned a brooch from Drakon's bag onto her turban. "I only see my long lost twin."

She crawled out of Sinbad's bed and, with his help, began climbing up the ladder into her own. Sinbad held on to her as she did so, hands resting first on her waist, then her hips. She swatted him away as they approached her butt, but that had been a bad idea. She nearly toppled over, and his grip on her was the only thing that saved her from another head injury. Begrudgingly, she allowed his hands to go where they pleased, helping her the rest of the way up the ladder. Once safely in her bed, she dug through her bag for dry clothing.

The world spun as a fuzzy memory surfaced. She was forgetting something important.

"You and Ja'far let Masrur and Sharrkan get hurt," she muttered. "They're kids. Don't..." She brought her hand to her head, trying to focus on the words she was trying to spit out. "Don't let it happen again."

"Thalia, focus on your clothes," Sinbad reminded her.

"I have clothes."

"Get dry ones," Ja'far prodded.

"Right."

She rustled around in her bag again, pulling out a clean linen frock. She also pulled out the blue shawl Narmes had given her. Sinbad had complimented it once. She hoped if she wore it, he would compliment her again.

Thalia climbed back down the ladder with the garments in her hand, slipping half way. Luckily, Sinbad had once again been prepared and caught her. She giggled. Of course Sinbad had saved her. He always did.

As he helped her to the ground, she twisted toward him.

"You're such a good friend," she sighed, her words running together. She wrapped her arms around his neck for balance, watching curiously as he straightened, not meeting her eyes.

Mystras coughed.

"Would you two like some privacy?"

"I think we're fine," Sinbad huffed, prying her off him. "Do you need help getting dressed, Thalia?"

She shook her aching head vigorously. She had her dignity to protect. Even though he was her best friend and she trusted him, he was still a man, and one she harbored fantasies about at that.

"Mystras, Ja'far, and I are going outside," Sinbad surrendered. "I'm going to count to 100. If you're not dressed by then, I'm going come in and to help you."

"Don't you dare. I can—" She swayed as a wave of dizziness hit her. "I can dress myself."

"Fine. I'll be right outside," he assured her.

She muttered under her breath as the boys left, shutting the door behind them. The loud recitation of numbers began to drift through the door.

She pulled up her old dress, stumbling clumsily with the rocking of the boat while it remained over her head. Her shoulder rammed into something solid and wooden, as if she weren't already in enough pain. When she finished swapping out her clothing, she eyed Sinbad's inviting bed. She would never be able to get back up to her own bed by herself. She decided to take a nap, curling up wrapped in her shawl. Sleep immediately took her, the sound of Sinbad's voice fading into nothingness.


	26. Waking

Hello once again! I want to thank Addicted_to_GazettE for betareading this chapter, and also one of my new friends on discord who's helping me work on my portrayal of angst~ For anyone who was like "Man, I sure can't get enough of the slave arc!" (a.k.a: no one) I made some large edits to chapter 3 this week. Since I have a huge essay due next week and I'm a terrible person who has slacked off for months on this, there MAY not be a chapter ready next week. We'll see.

Please review and let me know how I did!

* * *

When Thalia awoke, she lay in bed for a long time, willing herself to fall back asleep, but unconsciousness refused to return. She finally opened her eyes, irritated. Her dreams had been filled with pleasant, vivid imagery. Reality was disappointing in comparison. She sat up and stretched out her stiff body, looking around. The room was dark, the only light provided by moonlight penetrating through a small window.

She felt something wrapped around her head and reached up to touch it. It was a bandage, she remembered as she ran her fingers along the soft gauze. Her fingers tenderly tested the back of her head. She hissed as they elicited a sharp pain. She had definitely hit her head on something. Her hand cradled her forehead as she willed herself to remember what had happened. The fragments of a memory drifted to the surface. She had been talking to Masrur and Sharrkan. Then there was a lamp and she was on a table. She'd fallen and Captain Reis had taken her to Sinbad. Then, she'd fallen asleep in her friend's bunk.

She groaned quietly, careful not to wake her fellow snoring passengers. She still didn't feel like her thoughts were entirely unscrambled.

Lighting a lamp, she climbed up the ladder to peek in her bunk. In it was Sinbad, hugging her pillow. She briefly felt guilty for kicking him out of his bed, but he looked comfortable enough to ease her conscience. She checked Mystras's bed next. He was one of the snorers, splayed across his bed and out cold. Ja'far was sleeping on his stomach, one arm hanging off the bed. His eyebrow twitched in irritation as he muttered something about the ledgers. Thalia sighed, shaking her head. He even worked in his sleep.

Next, she peeked in Masrur and Sharrkan's bunks. Masrur had kicked off his covers at some point during the night. She gently tucked him back in. His eyes locked on her immediately.

Thalia pursed her lips. She hadn't meant to wake him up. It made sense that he would be a light sleeper, though. His hearing seemed to be better than most. She guessed he was wondering if she was okay after her head injury.

"I'm fine," she whispered. "Go back to sleep."

He closed his eyes, apparently satisfied with her answer.

Thalia already knew that she wouldn't find Drakon and Hinahoho in here. They usually slept on the deck or down in the hull where there was more room because the beds were so cramped. In the next row of bunks, occupied mainly by sailors. Ravi was asleep hugging a book next to his chest, but the bunk above him, Nasha's bunk, was empty.

She wandered outside, where the night crew had busied themselves working the ship, to look for him. Her eyes scanned the deck, resting on a lone sailor hunched the table with a mug of beer. His long red hair gave away his identity even from behind. Sliding into the seat next to him, she noted his red-rimmed eyes.

"Hey, Nasha. Are you okay?"

Nasha whipped his head in her direction. His eyes lingered on her bandages as a dumbfounded expression fell over his face.

"What's on your head?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

"Don't I look like Mystras?" Thalia giggled, flipping her hair over her shoulders.

"Are those bandages? Did you get hurt?" He reached toward her, then stopped, perhaps remembering the scolding she'd given him last time he'd touched her unexpectedly.

"I just bumped my head a little." She motioned as though she were hitting herself on the head to emphasize her words.

Nasha crumpled in relief.

"God. You're such a clutz."

"I am," she agreed. "I'm a walking safety hazard."

"Fuck, Thalia." He returned his gaze to his glass of beer. "I thought you were going to die and it was my fault."

"Why would it be your fault? I just fell off a table."

Nasha drew back incredulously, his grip tightening around the stem of his glass.

"You don't remember?"

"Remember what?" she frowned. Why was he being so cryptic? She furrowed her eyebrows, trying to think of what she could be forgetting. She had fallen off the table, then Captain Reis had picked her up to bring her to her friends. No, that wasn't right. It had made sense to her at the time, but looking back on it now, he had been behaving strangely.

"Why was Captain Reis carrying me? Where was he going?" Thalia asked.

Nasha's forehead now had a sheen of sweat. He wiped it off with his sleeve.

"He wanted to throw you overboard, Thalia."

She blinked, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. She had been in danger and hadn't even realized it. The thought left her uneasy.

She turned to Nasha. The poor boy was now drenched in sweat. Forgetting her own discomfort, she reached out to him, touching his wrist to comfort him.

"Captain Reis was incurably superstitious," she told him softly. "How could that be your fault?"

Nasha took a large swig out of his mug before answering.

"I kind of spread the rumor we were sleeping together. I think the old coot caught whiff of it, and that combined with the storm set off his paranoia."

Thalia immediately withdrew her hand from his wrist, her demeanor changing instantly.

"You what?" She inhaled sharply, the throbbing pain in the back of her head returning.

She was furious. It was one thing for other people to start baseless rumors about her because she shared a room with one of her guy friends, but for one of her guy friends to be the source of the baseless rumor?

Nasha turned to face her, his eyes bright with unshed tears. They only infuriated her more. He wasn't the one who'd nearly been killed over a _rumor_ that _he_ had spread.

"You really are a princess, aren't you?" He worded it like a question, but it wasn't. He knew the answer. He must have known it for a while. Was that why he'd been so nice to her recently?

He continued, "So, I lied. Sleeping with a princess? How badass would that be? But I never meant to nearly get you killed."

Thalia grabbed his mug, taking a swig before choking on the taste. She had hoped to drown out the disappointment and anger she was feeling over Nasha's betrayal, the same way her mother used to do. It seemed she was going to have to torture herself to do so.

. "Why?" Thalia asked after she stopped coughing.

He shrugged. "I just wanted to boost my report with the rest of the crew."

"So you used me," she confirmed.

"Yep."

She took another gulp of the horrible liquid. How long would she have to keep this up to feel numb?

"Go tell the truth, Nasha. Tell them you lied."

He shook his head. "No way. I can't."

She straightened her back, trying to look threatening. "If you value our friendship, you can."

"I saved your life!" he shouted, throwing his hand on his chest. "Shouldn't that count for something?"

Thalia chugged as much of the the beer as she could before Nasha swiped it from her.

"Go easy on that stuff, will you?" he growled. "You're not used to it."

"You don't get to tell me what to do, traitor," she spat in response. "I thought you were better than this."

"I told you not to trust me," he said quietly, looking in his lap.

She stiffened as the reality of their crumbling friendship struck her. He wasn't going to take responsibility for what he had done at all. Salvaging their relationship was a lost cause. Standing up, she turned her back on him, heading back into the crew's quarters.

"Thalia, wait!" He called out after her. She ignored him, refusing to look back. She was afraid if she did, she would lose her resolve. She was never going to forgive him.

* * *

Sinbad's heart raced. He was on Ria Venus Island in the punishment room, chained to a wall as his flesh burned and shredded with every jab of an iron or lash of a cane. The figure administering the punishment towered above him, his skin a sickly green hue. Lady Maader stood in the background, skin ashen, black acid dripping from her mouth as she howled with laughter at every cry of pain pain.

He looked around. The only person who could save him was nowhere to be seen. He called out for her, but she didn't come. Another blow from the cane sent him limp. Maybe she wasn't coming this time. After all, there were so many times she had never shown up, leaving him to the mercy of that vile woman. Maybe she'd finally given up on him. Maybe she was never coming again.

The tall, sickly figure dropped the can and pulled out a pair of pliers. Sinbad's body went regid, recognizing what they were for. The man was going to pry off Sinbad's fingernails one by one. He worked out the will to struggle once again as the pliers lodged themselves into the bed of his pinky nail. He readied to scream.

Then her voice came.

"Sinbad," she whispered. He looked up and there she was, reaching out to him in invitation. The phantoms fled at the sight of her, their faces contorting into rage before they vanished from the room. Now, it was just the two of them. As she walked toward him, the world rippled, the punishment room transforming into their secret corner. The flowers in the garden released their scent into the gentle wind that tousled her hair, laced with white heather. Her lips parted into a serene smile to assure him he was safe now. He reached out with his freshly scarred arms and pulled her to him, clinging to her like a vine to a cedar tree.

"You finally came," he whispered into her hair. "I thought you'd never come."

"Sin, you're having a bad dream." She pawed at his shoulder, shaking him.

He shook his head. "Not anymore."

He couldn't have a bad dream with Thalia in it. She was the guardian of pleasant dreams, chasing away his nightmares and replacing them with this surreally beautiful landscape of her creation. The first time she had appeared like this had been in Heliohapt, when they had shared a bed together. Since then, she had begun to occasionally disrupt his nightmares, always bringing him back to their secret corner. Here, his senses were capable of perceiving things in more detail than in the waking world. Here, he could talk to her about anything.

"Wake up," she pleaded. "I need to talk to you."

Something wasn't right. He was right here. There was no reason dream Thalia couldn't talk to him, unless…

His eyes snapped open, the object of his dreams startlingly close to his face. The Thalia in his dream had been mouthing the words of the real Thalia, who was currently struggling against his vice-like embrace.

"Thalia? What are you…?" he trailed off, too stunned to finish his sentence.

He sheepishly let her go, hoping he hadn't frightened her.

Sitting up, he studied her. She was a far cry from the angel that had been comforting him in his dream. Her hair was matted, she hadn't bathed in days, and a bandage wound around her head, a reminder of his inability to protect her.

But she was the real thing, and she was finally awake. That made her a thousand times more beautiful to him than the image he'd conjured in his dream. He didn't complain that she had woken him up. He was glad she had. The last two days, he'd been worried incessantly, even as he assured the others she would be fine. Now, he wouldn't have to worry anymore.

"What did you need to talk about?" he asked quietly, careful not to wake anyone else up.

In response, she pursed her lips and clambered down the ladder. He took that as a sign she wanted to speak outside.

He followed her, paying close attention to each step as he climbed down from his bunk. He was still half-asleep and his sense of balance had yet to return to him. She guided him outside, tugging on his hand silently and leading him to a quiet corner. The splashing of the waves against the side of the boat and the salty air enveloped him, making him feel at ease. His eyes began to drift shut again before he remembered why he was out here. He looked to Thalia, her arms crossed in front of her defensively.

He sighed. She'd just woken up. How could she already be angry?

Her dark eyes flashed furiously in the moonlight. "You knew, didn't you?"

He yawned, his long hair falling over his shoulder. He had no idea what she was talking about.

"Knew what?" he asked. "What time is it?"

He was happy to see her, but couldn't she wait until after he woke up to talk about unpleasant things?

"I don't care what time it is," she hissed. "You knew Nasha was telling people I was sleeping with him. You didn't tell me."

So that's why she was mad. He had been sure to order everyone to stay quiet about those rumors, so who could have possibly…?

He grimaced. "You found out about that. Who told you?"

She practically growled. "Nasha. But you know what sucks? That I had to find out from him because my best friend thinks I can't handle a little gossip."

"I was trying to protect you," he responded defensively.

"If I'm going to become queen of Attica, I'm going to have to deal with a lot more than some idiot claiming he's been sleeping with me. Besides, _you_ said we were a team. 'No more secrets'."

He sighed, rubbing his forehead. When he said no more secrets, he had meant on her end. She abused her silence, keeping things hidden away until she exploded. He was different. He had kept the secret to protect her. Though, in all fairness, she did have a point about what she would have to deal with as queen. Maybe he had been overprotective. He decided to concede.

"I did say that. I'm sorry. What do you want me to do about him?"

She blanched at his question, as though she hadn't expected him to give her that sort of power over Nasha's fate.

"I don't know."

"You don't know?" As angry as she seemed to be, Sinbad would have thought she already had several punishments lined up.

"Can you make him walk the plank? Maroon him on a desert island?"

"Those are good ideas." Her suggestions brought a grin to his face. She must have read about those kinds of punishments in one of her books. They were sailor punishments, reserved only for severe crimes. He listed a couple of more reasonable punishments to consider. "I can also have him swab the decks or demote him to cabin boy."

"Can't you just fire him?"

A bit of a pout creeped into her features. If she weren't practically an adult, it might have worked, but as things stood, he wasn't about to give in to her wide-eyed plea.

"I can't fire him, Thalia. It's not my ship. Though, we certainly won't be contracting with Captain Reis again."

"Okay, but hear me out." Thalia proposed. "What if we put him on a lifeboat with enough food and water to last him to Balbadd,"

"I'm sorry," he sighed. "You're just going to have to put up with him until we dock. Besides, if he got lost or something happened, you'd never forgive yourself. You're not a killer."

"What I don't know won't hurt me," she huffed. Sinbad ruffled her hair. She knew he was right. She tapped her foot, thinking. "Make him act as the cabin boy. He'll hate that. All he cares about is his position and what others think of him, so if you demote him to the lowest position on the ship, that will get to him."

Sinbad nodded approvingly. "It seems two days rest was enough to unscramble your head."

Thalia blanched. "I was asleep for two days?"

Sinbad nodded slowly, recounting the ordeal they had gone through to care for her, "We tried to wake you up for meals, but you whined and told us to go away."

"That doesn't sound like me at all," she said wryly. He imagined she knew that sounded exactly like something she would do.

"You had us worried sick. Be sure to get something on your stomach, okay? I'm glad you're feeling better."

When he finished lecturing her, he sighed. Now he was fully awake, and he couldn't see himself falling back asleep any time soon. He glanced at his best friend beside him and grinned. It had been a long two days without her. He had a lot of steam to blow off.

"Care to keep me company for a few drinks?"

Thalia crossed her arms again, her expression souring.

"I don't want to sit on the floor, and Nasha's hogging the table. There's no way I'm getting near him."

His lips twitched. Seeing her finally avoid that jerk was gratifying beyond his expectations.

"I'll take care of him," he assured her. "You just come with me."

She clung to his wrist, stumbling slightly as they approached the table with the lone sailor. Sinbad frowned. He was positive she'd been perfectly capable of walking when she led him outside a few minutes ago.

He paused, turning around and putting his nose close to her mouth.

"Wha— what are you doing?" she stammered, stumbling backward.

Her breath reeked of alcohol.

"Have you been drinking?" he asked, incredulous. Since when did Thalia drink? He had only seen her touch a drink once, and that time she had hated the taste so much, she never touched it again.

"I'm not drunk," she asserted, poking his nose. "See? Bullseye."

"That was the least convincing argument you could have possibly given," Sinbad groaned, pulling her hand away from his face. "You do get points for coordination."

"That's because I'm not drunk."

He made a small tutting noise. "That's exactly what a drunk person would say."

Placing her hands on her cheeks, she sighed, "I feel really good."

"I bet you do," he agreed, leading her the rest of the way to the table. He slammed his hand on the wood, startling Nasha out of his stupor.

"Did she eat?" Sinbad demanded.

"I… I don't know. She just came up and started talking…"

Sinbad turned to Thalia.

"Tell me you didn't drink on an empty stomach."

"You want me to lie?" she giggled. Sinbad rolled his eyes. She should know better, having a great role model like him around.

"She didn't drink much," Nasha quickly assured him. "I didn't let her."

"You did one thing right," Sinbad conceded."Do you mind leaving us? Thalia's a little upset with you."

"It's not a little," she hissed loudly from behind him, tugging on his arm.

Nasha peered around him. "Thalia, come on. Be mature about this. Let's talk—"

"She's in no condition to talk," Sinbad interrupted him.

Nasha rose, banging his hand on the table. "You're going to try to tell her who she can talk to now? I've never seen anyone so desperate to get laid. You drag her around like some rag doll hoping she'll come around. The only difference between you and me is you still have the gall to pretend you're a decent guy. I embrace what I am—"

Thalia's grip tightened around his wrist.

"All you do is say you're an asshole to avoid responsibility," she hiccupped, more unsteady than before. Sinbad pulled her against his side for support, and she continued, "Sin's not like that. He would never use me like you did."

"Nasha, she just woke up from a head injury. She's angry at you. Standing will tire her out, and being around you will only upset her. Be reasonable. Let us have the table."

Nasha glared at him for a moment before begrudgingly vacating his seat.

"We're going to talk sooner or later, Thalia," he spat before wandering off.

"Like hell," she grumbled under her breath.

Sinbad felt a well of pride. He imagined when they first met almost three years ago, she wouldn't have been nearly as ready to stand her ground. She'd flourished ever since coming to the company.

"I'm going to get some snacks," he told her, helping her sit. "Wait here, okay?"

She reluctantly released him, clearly biting back complaints at being abandoned. He chuckled. So she was a clingy drunk.

As Sinbad left Thalia to fetch something for the two of them to eat, he couldn't shake the feeling that the drama between Thalia and Nasha wasn't over. Sinbad had a distinct feeling Nasha's predatory behavior toward the only girl on the ship stemmed from an inferiority complex. Thalia's decision for his punishment certainly would get under his skin, but for that reason, Sinbad expected Nasha to retaliate somehow.

He would have to tell Ja'far to keep an eye on Nasha for the remainder of the voyage.


	27. Mending and Breaking

It's a Thanksgiving miracle! The chapter is not only finished, but it's coming out early! I'm working on some pretty major changes to the earlier chapters, but I'll go ahead and tell you so that you don't have to read back: Marcus's full name is Marcus Alexius. You know, the most important family in Reim. I intended for that to be his full name from the beginning but didn't include that information for some reason. It may or may not become relevant in the next few chapters, but it will definitely be relevant in the future. I haven't had my beta reader look over this yet, so it may change some in the coming days, but hopefully it doesn't need anything too major done to it. I recently made a lot of character references using doll makers. I'll be able to go back and add in details to describe them, but also if you guys want me to post them on my tumblr let me know.

* * *

Thalia watched the pink and golden hues of the rising sun. The cool, humid morning air clung to her like the lightest of silks. She closed her eyes and tilted her head, resting it on that of the boy who had fallen asleep on her shoulder.

She hadn't had any more to drink than the beer she had stolen from Nasha, but Sinbad had indulged in ale for at least a couple of hours before napping like this. She could still smell the alcohol on him, but the stench didn't bother her the way it used to. It was just another note in the complex medley of his scent.

Her peaceful moment shattered as she began replaying the events of a few hours ago in her head. She lifted her head and cringed, covering her eyes in mortification. When Sinbad had guessed she'd been drinking, it had been humiliating. She was a princess. She was supposed to be composed and refined. She was neither of those things to begin with, but the alcohol had only turned her into a stumbling fool.

Her eyes narrowed at the empty bottles on the table. She had drunk too much in a moment of weakness. She swore she would never touch the stuff again.

Sinbad's head began to stir on her shoulder. He sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"'Morning, Thalia," he yawned.

"Good morning, Sin," she answered cheerfully, burying her negative feelings. Sinbad didn't need to know about how ashamed she felt. He wouldn't understand. Did he even know what shame felt like? He was so carefree. None of the trappings of royalty seemed to confine him, yet he had so many followers and ran a small empire of a company. She wished she could be more like him, free of fears and inhibitions.

Sinbad's sleepy eyes fixed on her hair before he burst out laughing. "I know we don't have a mirror on this ship, but you should really see yourself."

Thalia deflated even further. Did she really look so awful? Usually, he was a fountain of compliments even when she didn't really deserve them.

He pulled a comb out of his pocket and motioned for her to turn around. She obeyed, spinning away from him. His hands raked gently through her hair for a moment before he began working at the ends. He was obviously trying to be gentle, but it seemed like her hair must be one giant tangle, the result of her sleeping on it for two days straight.

"Ow!" she complained as he yanked through a snag.

"We can always cut it off," he reminded her. "You'd look cute with short hair."

Thalia was appalled at the suggestion. She'd had long hair as long as she could remember. It was part of her identity.

"Try to touch my hair with a razor and see what happens," she growled.

He laughed. "I already know what will happen. You'll whine until it grows back out. Very threatening."

She huffed. She might be powerless now, but when she was a queen, she would make him submit to her. Then he would be sorry for taking her lightly.

"One of these days, I'm going to have an army. You won't be able to bully me anymore."

He tugged at the comb, ripping out another tangle. "You really think it's a good idea to send an army after me when you've seen what I can do?"

His voice carried more than a hint of skepticism, but Thalia had a trump card.

She spun around in her seat, grinning triumphantly. "You won't touch my army."

He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. He was underestimating her again.

"And why would that be?" he asked, nudging her head back to where he could finish brushing it.

"You like me too much. Look at you, the legendary dungeon capturer, brushing my hair like a maid— ow!"

He had intentionally tugged her hair a little too hard this time.

"Oops," he deadpanned. "Sorry, my hand slipped. I'm a dungeon capturer, not a maid. I'm not used to this whole hair brushing thing."

She hissed through her teeth. She had picked the wrong time for a battle of the wills. She made a note not to initiate battles with someone whose kindness she was at the mercy of.

He leaned forward, whispering threateningly in her ear. "If I like you so much, why do you think I bully you?"

She straightened, her back growing rigid. Of course he didn't actually bully her. She gave him as hard a time as he gave her, if not harder. Teasing each other was their way of having fun. That hadn't been what bothered her. It was his proximity that had set her off. She willed the color to drain back down from her face before she had to turn around. The moments passed in silence as he worked his way through the last bits of her hair. She took steadying breaths until she was confident she was composed.

As he finished running the comb through her now tangle-free hair, she twisted toward him, letting him see the results of his work.

He grinned, studying her proudly. "Now I don't have to be embarrassed to be seen with you."

"You're lucky I grace you with my presence," she answered snarkily.

He began to style his own hair, pulling three strands back into small braids. Thalia watched curiously.

"Teach me how to do that," she requested. "I want to braid my hair too."

He smiled. "It's really easy. First you section the hair into three pieces…"

Five minutes later, she was practicing on his hair. Ja'far and Drakon approached them, followed shortly by Mystras. Ja'far already looked exhausted by their antics. She imagined finding Sinbad getting his hair done was the last thing any of them expected to see first thing in the morning.

"Thalia, you're up!" Drakon greeted her brightly. "It looks like you two are having a slumber party."

Thalia nodded. "We were just talking about boys, then we were going to have a pillow fight."

"The pillow fight is mandatory," Sinbad added. "The party cannot conclude until the pillow fight has been held. That's because..." He stood up and whispered something in Mystras's ear, causing the knight to turn red.

"Sin, that's brilliant…"

Sinbad sat back down and kicked one leg over the other. "I know, right? I'm a genius."

"What is it?" Thalia pried, standing up and leaning toward Mystras. "I want to know."

"Sorry, Thalia," he responded sheepishly, scratching his forehead. "It's a secret between guys."

"Then tell me," Ja'far challenged them.

"I'd rather tell Thalia," Mystras squeaked.

"Thalia! You're awake!" Hinahoho's booming voice called out to her as his shadow fell over them. "Welcome back to the world of the living."

Thalia grinned up at the blue-haired giant as he patted her firmly on the back. "Glad to be back!"

Masrur and Sharrkan followed shortly after, Sharrkan lingering slightly behind his younger friend.

Thalia turned to them. It seemed they had helped save her life. She reached out to them, wanting to give them a hug. They both refused, leaving her leaning forward with her arms wide open, looking like an idiot.

"You boys did such a brave thing," she praised them, sitting back up as though they hadn't just humiliated her. "I wasn't thinking straight, but you could tell something was wrong. Thank you. I owe you two my life."

Sharrkan looked away, fiddling with his fingers. "If it hadn't been for my stupid request about the light, you never would have hurt your head. I owe you. I'll make it up to you somehow."

Thalia shook her head. "Don't worry about it. You couldn't have known what would happen."

"If it makes you feel better, you two can call it even," Hinahoho suggested. "You did help save her, after all."

"No, it has to be something I do by myself." Sharrkan explained. "I'm going to find a way. Just give me some time."

Thalia nodded. "If it's that important to you, I understand."

The boy's eyes lit up. "Thank you!"

She heard Sinbad stretch noisily behind her. "Well, I better get to work."

"Work?" She asked, turning back toward him. Even though he helped out with the ship sometimes, he usually treated their voyages as a vacation of sorts, taking the opportunity to slack off and drink. She was surprised to hear the word come from his mouth.

He grinned, shrugging. "The ship needed a captain. The crew was impressed with my leadership during the storm the other day, so they asked me to step up. My first order of business will be to demote Nasha, as you requested." Sinbad ruffled her hair gently. Thalia stiffened at his affectionate touch, hiding her hands between her thighs. Sinbad noticed her discomfort and pulled away.

After Sinbad left, her friends got caught up in chatter amongst themselves. Ja'far seemed particularly engrossed in the conversation, as it had to do with strategies to grow the company. Thalia quietly slipped away to go borrow another book from Ravi's chest. She still didn't have the concentration to follow the disjointed strands of a group conversation and there were a couple books left that she hadn't read. She let herself into the crew's quarters and closed the door behind her.

Making her way to the trunk in front on Ravi's bed, she began to rummage around inside, trying to decide which book she wanted to read. There was one called One Thousand and One Days, a tome from Reim about a man named Ulysses, and a play manuscript from Balbadd called The Little Ceramic Cart. She handled the books carefully, trying to decide which one to read next.

As the door opened behind her, Thalia dropped the books, startled. Had one of her friends needed something from his bag? She craned her neck to see who had entered. Nasha stood in the doorway with his arms crossed in front of his chest as the door swung shut behind him. There was no way out. She cursed under her breath. She didn't want to talk to him. She was still angry.

"Thalia." His voice was cold, bereft of its usual easygoing slickness. She hunched her shoulders, remembering how much stronger he was than she. No one knew where she was. Thalia did not like this. If he wanted to hurt her, he could. She didn't trust him anymore. She didn't know how far he was willing to go to force her to interact with him, and if he didn't respect her desire not to talk to him, what other boundaries might be be willing to break? A nagging fear that a repeat of the incident on Ria Venus Island could happen at his hands caused her to break into a sweat.

"Don't look at me like that," Nasha growled. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to talk."

Thalia grabbed the heaviest looking book from the chest and rose slowly, positioning herself toward him. If he tried to touch her, he would get a book the weight of a brick to the head. She was never letting anyone touch her like that without permission again. She would go down fighting if she had to. She held the book in front of her demurely, as though she didn't intend to use it as a weapon. She straightened her back, trying to look tougher than she felt. She could not show him fear or weakness. She could not let him see an opening to hurt her. She lobbed cutting words in his direction.

"Did Sinbad already demote you to cabin boy? You should be running errands about now, shouldn't you?"

"Shut up," Nasha scowled. "That guy thinks he can just take over as captain when he doesn't even know the crew. Arrogant bastard."

"He said they respect him enough to follow his orders since the storm. He earned their respect through his own merits. He doesn't have to lie about sleeping with—"

"Can you let it go already?" He gestured vehemently with his hands. "I just told a little white lie. Anyone intelligent would have done the same."

Thalia scowled. "I can count dozens of people on this very ship that haven't and wouldn't do the same."

"They're stupid, Thalia. We're not like them. We know how to lie our way out of our shitty situations, climbing up the ranks on the backs of those who waste their lives pretending to be upright. We're not bound by the chains of right and wrong, and that makes us capable of anything."

Thalia nearly dropped the book with revulsion at the insinuation she and Nasha were the same. She wasn't like him. She lied to survive, not to improve her station. Still, she shared enough in common with him that his words were beginning to have an effect on her, but not the effect he intended. She shifted her weight uncomfortably. She'd lied to her friends, people who trusted her, for so long. She'd tried to prop up a false image of herself in their minds. She was manipulative, a trait she had mastered under the tutelage of Lady Maader.

She hated herself for it.

She lashed out at Nasha, attempting to hide how his words had shaken her.

"You're lying even to yourself, Nasha. You're the lowest rank on the ship because of your posturing. You haven't climbed over anyone. Meanwhile, one of the most upright people I know is your captain."

Nasha scoffed. "That guy? You're completely blind. At first, I thought like you did, that he's upright, a real stand up guy. Then, I saw it when we were playing poker, just what that guy is capable of. I always win at poker, Thalia. If you hadn't intervened that day, I would have lost. He's a better liar than both of us."

Thalia frowned, irritated. Nasha was trying to mess with her head again. She'd been able to call Sinbad's bluff easily. Nasha just didn't know his tells.

"I always know when he's lying."

Thalia's grip tightened around the book as he took a step toward her.

He continued to creep toward her, one step at a time. "That's when he has his guard down. If he really didn't want you to know something, you wouldn't. But it's not just that. He's a manipulator as well."

She narrowed her eyes, raising the book above her head. "You're a liar. Why would I trust a word you say?"

He brought his hands up cautiously, as though he were approaching a frightened horse.

"I like you, Thalia. I'm looking out for you. You don't think it's weird that he collects influential young children from various countries? He's indoctrinating them, grooming them to be loyal to him. When he returns them to their home countries, they'll obey him like good little puppets—"

Thalia had never heard something so preposterous. Nothing in her experience pointed to his accusations being even remotely true.

"They're not puppets, and not all of them are young. Hinahoho and Rurumu are adults. Mystras, Drakon, and I are the same age as him. Ja'far and Masrur aren't influential in the least, and Sharrkan was in a precarious situation because of the state of his home country."

"Well, I did some digging beyond that. You read his books didn't you? In Valefor's dungeon, when he lied to everyone to get them to work together for his benefit—"

"That's enough, Nasha. You're beginning to sound obsessed. Let me pass."

"No, I need you to listen to me."

Thalia prepared to swing the book downward as he came within striking distance, but Nasha was too fast. Sh winced as he grabbed her wrist painfully until her hand released the bound pages involuntarily. The sharp thud of the tome crashing to the ground accented the realization that she was defenseless. Dread curled in her stomach as she looked up at Nasha, who was still ranting.

"Artemyra, Sasan, Imuchakk. Again and again, he manipulates things for his own interests. He's a selfish asshole. He's already betrayed every one of his so called friends. I won't stop until you see him for what he really is. He's done way worse than I have. He messes with entire countries. One of these days you're going to end up dragged in the middle of one of his conflicts and—"

"Let me go or I'll scream," she threatened. She wasn't listening to his tirade at this point. He was obviously just trying to drive a wedge between her and her friends again in hopes that she would turn to him and forgive him. He hadn't even attempted to apologize for what he had done yet.

Nasha dropped her arm just before Ja'far opened the door. He stared at the two, a dangerous expression falling over his face.

"Is he bothering you, Thalia?"

Thalia relaxed. "He was. Thank you, Ja'far." She hurried over to his side, grateful for his intervention.

Nasha spat on the floor next to him, lowering Thalia's opinion of him even further. "You're trying to keep her from anyone who might speak ill of your little leader, huh? Did he put you up to this?"

Ja'far narrowed his eyes. "If I hear from Thalia that you've been bothering her one more time, you're going in the hold with Captain Reis. The harassment of a Sindria Trading Company employee with not be tolerated." He turned to leave. "Come on, Thalia. You better stay near one of us, just to be safe."

Thalia followed Ja'far out onto the main deck. They began to walk past Drakon, who was sitting on a crate, brooding. Thalia stopped in her tracks.

"I think I'm going to spend some time with Drakon. He looks a little down, don't you think?"

Ja'far nodded. "Go ahead. I have some things to take care of. Let me know if anyone else bothers you, okay?"

Thalia hummed in agreement, turning her attention to Drakon. She nestled next to him quietly, joining him in staring off into the distance until he noticed her presence.

"Princess? did you need something?"

"Not particularly," she sighed. "I just wanted to spend some time around my oldest friend."

Drakon looked at her, confusion evident on his face. "Forgive me, but I was under the impression you were angry with me."

Thalia felt a wave of shame. She owed him an apology for how she had behaved on the dark continent. She had never been angry at him. She only hated the way all he seemed to see when he looked at her lately was a damaged ex princess. She was too prideful to accept his pity. Still, she had to acknowledge she had behaved poorly toward him.

"I threw quite the tantrum, didn't I?" She laughed guiltily. "I'm sorry. I've never blamed you for what happened."

"I'm sorry you got dragged in the middle of the conflict between our two countries," Drakon apologized.

Thalia normally would have smiled and insisted she was fine, too proud and afraid to admit her true feelings on the matter. Instead, she decided to give this whole honesty thing a try.

"I don't want you to be sorry. It makes me feel pathetic."

Drakon's eyes widened. "Forgive me, Princess. I didn't know."

She nudged him with her shoulder. "There's nothing to forgive. Not between us. Besides, it seems you've gone through your own share of hardships over the years. You're… well. You know. How did that happen?"

Thalia had always avoided bringing up his appearance for fear of upsetting him, but she felt like if there was a time to bring it up, it would be now, while they were being vulnerable.

"In order to protect Lady Serendine from my brother, I fuzed with my household vessel."

"Your brother?" Thalia blanched. "I don't remember much about him, honestly, but why would he want to hurt Serendine?"

Drakon looked at her incredulously. "Thalia, do you remember my brother's name?"

Thalia shook her head. "You both had such long and complicated names. You were always 'Junior' and he was always 'Junior's brother' to me."

"It's Barbarossa, Thalia. He's the one who—"

Thalia was so startled she fell off the box. "He led the assault against my country. It was your brother."

"He arranged a marriage to Serendine and killed her father to gain the rights to the throne."

Thalia leaned against the crate for support, feeling ill. A weak laugh escaped her lips. Serendine wasn't supposed to be a victim. She was supposed to be a horrible, awful person who plotted with Barbarossa to destroy Thalia's life. Having a marriage forced on her, having her family members killed and her country taken away by someone who abuses it… that all sounded incredibly familiar.

"It serves her right," she forced herself to mutter hoping if she said it out loud, she would start to actually believe it.

"You don't sound convinced."

Thalia pursed her lips.

"I don't like having things in common with my family's killer."

"About your family…" Drakon hedged. "What do you know about that?"

"Only what I overheard. That Serendine was responsible, and that they're dead. What happened, Drakon?" she asked, her voice cracking. "Did they at least go with dignity?"

Drakon shifted nervously. "The story I heard is that Serendine… she and Barbarossa had them cornered, and, well… they would have gone to the rukh swiftly. But… about your sister..."

"Oh, god." Thalia buried her hands in her face, thinking her sister must have met some gruesome fate. "Please don't tell me. I want to remember her as the big sister I always looked up to."

"Princess..." He stiffened as though he were about to burst with whatever he'd been about to say.

Thalia begged him, "Please, whatever it is, I don't want to know."

His posture slouched a little. He was clearly unhappy that he was being forced to keep silent. "Very well."

Thalia should have asked him what was bothering him, but instead she sulked in silence for a few minutes, this new information filling in some of the gaps for the scenario that replayed in her head. Her mother and sister must have cowered in the corner of the throne room, her father brandishing his sword heroically to protect them. The guards would have been overpowered by the Parthevian army while Barbarossa and Serendine surrounded her family menacingly. Her father would have fought valiantly until he was defeated by the two, dropping his sword. Barbarossa would have turned to his young fiancee, instructing her to finish them. Serendine would have grinned, eager to please her future husband.

No, it was an arranged marriage. Would she be so invested in his opinion of her? During the last visit Thalia had paid to Parthevia, Serendine had seemed to be developing budding feelings for Drakon. Thalia still remembered how ill she had felt the first time her fellow princess had blushed at their mutual friend, even after Serendine had assured Thalia there was nothing between the two. Would Serendine have transferred her affections to Barbarossa so easily?

Thalia shook her head, willing her doubts away. It didn't matter whether or not Serendine had been trying to impress anyone. She would have taken Thalia's father's life first, then her mother's. Then, Serendine and Barbarossa would have done something unimaginably horrendous to her sister. Had they tortured her? Taken her prisoner before killing her?

Thalia burst into tears, heavy sobs wracking her body. Drakon didn't say anything, but his heavy hand rested on her back. That made her feel better than anything he could have said out loud. She threw her arms around his leg, crying into his knee until she managed to regain control of her breathing, counting the duration of her breaths.

When she had calmed down some, he chuckled. "When we were little and I cried, you used to cheer me up by trying to make me take deep breaths like that."

Thalia laughed, wiping a tear from her eye. "My sister taught me that. I tried to show you how it's done to get you to do it, but you just laughed at me like I was stupid. You were so mean to me."

"I wasn't mean, you were just too sensitive." His yellow eyes glimmered with amusement.

"Name one time—"

"I pointed a wooden sword at you and you cried because you thought it was the real thing."

"Shit. You're right." She climbed back up on the crate, thinking nostalgically about old times. "I missed spending time with you like this."

Drakon huffed, crossing his arms indignantly. "As soon as I introduced you to Serendine, you barely paid attention to me."

"That's not true," she assured him. "You just weren't used to sharing me. Besides, you know how shy I was around boys back then. I did my best to be a good friend, but I didn't know how."

"Princess…"

Thalia pursed her lips. "Just call me Thalia, the way you used to."

He shifted uncomfortably. "Thalia…" He seemed to struggle to get her name to leave his mouth. "Serendine has been my closest friend for as long as I can remember. You have to remember, we were both warriors of Parthevia. Our country had to come first, before our personal feelings, before you."

Thalia didn't like what he was saying. She bit back a fresh wave of tears.

"You have every right to be angry," he continued, "but don't think this was easy on her. It was her first mission and she was under a lot of pressure from her family. If she hadn't succeeded, she would have been disgraced."

"So?" Thalia asked sharply. "I would never have killed either of your parents, no matter what my family threatened to do to me."

He sighed, rubbing his forehead. "We were raised to be warriors for our country. You were raised to become a wife and role model for yours. You, Serendine, and I started out not so different. We were kids who just wanted to have fun. Parthevia's army drilled the softness out of me and Serendine. Your father and your maids chiseled the warrior out of you. Perhaps, even if you hadn't run away, it would have become impossible for us to see eye to eye at some point."

"Don't say that," Thalia rasped, heartbroken by his words. She took one of his giant hands in both of hers, pleading with him. "Don't say that as though you would have done the same thing she did. Don't say that as though you never cared about me enough to think twice about murdering my family."

Drakon refused to meet her eyes until she dropped his hand, understanding washing over her.

Finally, he said, "I am no longer loyal to the Parthevian Empire. I only have one master now who would not ask me to make such difficult decisions."

"But you would have back then." Her voice was flat and cracked, like a sheet of ice under too much pressure.

He looked down at the ground, his sharp features appearing sunken and tired. "I'm sorry."


	28. First Friendship

Today, the A/N is at the bottom of the page because of spoilers for the chapter! Enjoy!

* * *

"I'm sorry," Drakon had said.

As if that changed anything. As if that could fix the fact that her only two friends had been equally willing to destroy her life. The only two people she'd been able to confide in as a child had both turned out to be traitors. Every happy memory with the two of them had been a lie. Running, laughing, playing together, all of it had been some kind of game to Serendine and Drakon. She was their toy, and they had been willing to throw her away for the sake of their country.

What was so great about Parthevia? It's royal family abused its own citizens, sending them without training to be slaughtered on the battlefield, all for some misguided sense of entitlement to land that was not their own. Drakon and Serendine had chosen that over her. She was worthless. What was she supposed to do with this information? She wanted to scream. It didn't matter at who. In fact, she did just that.

"You're as bad as her! You never cared about me!" Thalia let out disbelieving laugh, remembering how naive she used to be— to have thought Parthevian nobility would care about her, the princess of a small, rival country. "Neither of you did!"

"Of course we cared about you—" He tried to reach out to her, but she backed away. She didn't want him to touch her. She was a wounded animal, ready to lash out at anything that got near her.

"Serendine deserved every bad thing that happened to her, and so do you!" She continued backing away, clutching at her aching chest. Serendine and Drakon were both heartless. She wanted to hurt them. She wanted to hurt them like they had hurt her. She threw out the cruelest thing she could think to say. "Monster! You're a monster. I'm not talking about what you look like on the outside. You've always been a monster."

Her words seemed to hit their target, piercing him where he was most vulnerable. He gaped at her, speechless, as his body began to droop until he collapsed onto the box. His eyes remained fixed on her as though he were begging her to take back what she had just said. She almost caved in, opening her mouth to apologize, but then his words echoed in her head again.

No. She was the one that should be angry. She buried her guilt, marching off to the crew's quarters and slamming the door behind her. Climbing into Sinbad's bed, she hugged his pillow to her chest, hoping his scent would help her calm down. Tears streamed from her stinging eyes. Even when the rest of her world had crumbled around her, she'd been under the delusion Drakon held some tenderness in his heart for her, that the kind and prideful boy she remembered had never wavered in his loyalty.

She hugged the pillow tighter, burying her face in it. She still remembered when they had first met.

* * *

Six year old Thalia squirmed impatiently on the velvet-lined seat of an elaborately decorated carriage as Kayra leaned over and adjusted one of the ornaments in her hair for the tenth time.

"Hold still, will you? You're a princess, not some common urchin."

"I don't like this dress. It's itchy," young Thalia complained, scratching at the places where the starched garment irritated her tender, young skin. "Why do I have to wear this?"

"This is how we dress in the civilized world, love." Kayra's cherub lips pursed into a dissatisfied frown as she held up a mirror, inspecting her reflection. She reached into her bag and applied a bit more of her carnelian rouge to her cheeks, giving her skin a rosy glow. Now satisfied with her appearance, she gave a content smile, placing the mirror and the powder back in her bag. "I'm meeting an old friend of mine today, and he has a brother your age. I want you two to play nicely and leave Barbarossa and I alone, okay?"

"You want me to talk to a boy?" Thalia climbed up on her seat and peered out the window, curious to see this strange new country. It was her first visit to Parthevia, though her mother and Kayra had visited many times without her. As far as she could see, the land sprawled flat, uninterrupted by rocky drop offs or sparkling oceans. Even though the two capitals were only a few hours apart, Parthevia was so foreign to Thalia, especially their customs. She sat back down in her seat to look at her sister. "You know I'm not allowed to talk to boys. If Father finds out—"

Kayra's smile fell at the mention of Thalia's father. Her knuckles clenched her bag's straps until they were white.

"That man— your father doesn't need to know. This is Parthevia. He has no power here. You're safe now."

Kayra's words struck Thalia as strange. "Safe from what?"

"Him." Kayra's voice held an uncharacteristically hard edge to it. Perhaps Thalia should have asked her sister to elaborate, but she was six and she didn't quite understand the implications her sister's words held. As far as she was concerned, her family situation was normal. Her mother's drunkenness, her father's control, and her sister's frequent absences were all she knew. She never questioned any of it.

The carriage came to a stop, and Thalia peeked out the window again. This time, instead of a sprawling landscape, there was a huge building the size of Attica's royal palace. Grand columns like those popular in Attica held up exotic archways. The walls were the familiar brightly colored plaster, but here they were decorated with elaborate geometric designs instead of the frescoes that were painted on the walls of her own home. Someone opened the door to the carriage, a young man about the same age as her sister.

"Welcome back to civilization," he told Kayra, offering his hand to her. Thalia watched in horror as her sister casually placed her hand in his, allowing him to assist her in exiting the carriage. He turned his gaze to Thalia, and she shrank away. "Is this the little princess you brought with you?"

"She is," her sister confirmed. "Come, Thalia. It's time to meet your new friend."

Thalia didn't move at first, not because disobeying her father felt wrong— she'd always had a rebellious streak, and the thought of disobeying was titillating— but because she was frightened of her punishment if he or one of her maids found out what she had done. She might have to stay in Asena's temple and pray, unallowed to eat or sleep until her father decided she had learned her lesson. Thalia could barely sit through a meal. Being forced to kneel and pray for hours on end was torture for her restless, young body.

"You'll have to forgive my sister," Kayra apologized as Thalia's hesitation stretched out. "Her father and that backwards country he runs have put all kinds of strange ideas in her head." Kayra smiled at her six year old sister patiently, reaching out a hand. "Come now, dear sister. Don't be so shy."

Thalia took her sister's outstretched hand and jumped to the ground, sending up a puff of dirt with her landing.

"I don't want to get locked in the temple" Thalia whispered, clutching Kayra's lilac and gold skirts tightly as she attempted to hide behind them.

Kayra's small lips pulled into a thin line before she burst into elegant laughter. "Sweet Thalia, I told you already. No one will find out about this."

Thalia glanced over to the green haired boy her age standing in the background and retreated further behind the fabric of her sister's dress.

"I don't know how to talk to a boy," she whispered furtively.

"It's easy." Kayra smiled gently, turning to Barbarossa, her childhood friend, to illustrate how it was done. "How do you do?"

"Quite well, thank you," he answered, fighting back a laugh.

Thalia gaped at her sister. She had spoken to a boy with such ease. Kayra wasn't a barbarian— she had become a legal citizen of Attica through their mother's marriage to Thalia's father. Still, her sister had kept many of the strange barbarian ideas and mannerisms. Sometimes, her sister's way of life felt so foreign, but Thalia looked up to Kayra. She sought to mimic her in every way, foreign or not, so she timidly approached the green haired boy with the sharp eyes and held out her hand.

"Um!" she shouted to get his attention. "My name is Thalia Alexandris. What's your name?"

He stared at her like she was some inferior species. Thalia felt small under his imperial gaze. He held himself with the pride of a noble, something the sheltered and inexperienced princess had yet to master. When he finally spoke, she wasn't even sure he'd given her his name, so much as a long string of made up syllables.

"Dragul Nol Henrius Govius Menudias Partenuvonomias Dumid Os Kartanon."

"C— can I call you something else?" she squeaked.

He crossed his arms, raising his chin as he inspected her. "Junior is fine. My brother said you're a princess, but you don't look like one."

Thalia ran her fingers through her hair anxiously. She'd never spoken to a boy outside her family. What if she said something wrong and made him hate her? Or worse, what if she accidentally started to like him? Wasn't that why the rules to prevent the mingling of boys and girls existed in Attica, to protect them from developing inappropriate feelings? She thought of the passionate love stories her maids told her, stories about men who defied death for the woman they loved. She'd often wondered if she would ever experience anything like that.

The stories never ended well for the girl. They were meant as a warning against pursuing what Thalia would later learned were called "fleshly desires" over one's duty, but they only served to intrigue her as a young girl, in the same way many other forbidden things intrigued her. She wanted someone who was willing to follow her into death and try to save her from hell, even if he failed. She wanted someone who was willing to steal her away and start a war over her. Even more rebelliously, she wanted to be willing to do the same for him. Even at that age, Thalia knew that love was not something she could hope to aspire to, but as she lay in bed at night, all her taboo fantasies played out in her head. She imagined herself wielding a sword side by side with someone who loved her, and whom she loved in return.

This boy was her first chance at experiencing these forbidden things.

Her heart raced as she searched for the right words to say. He'd just said she didn't look like a princess. That puzzled her. Her maids had dressed her in a fine blue Parthevian-style gown made with the richest silks available, and her hair had been meticulously combed and pinned with glittering jeweled ornaments. She was in every way dressed properly for a princess. Her mother's family had made sure of that. Her mother's union with a king was a point of pride for them, and they hadn't spared any effort in the presentation of the result of that union, Thalia.

"What do you mean?" she asked shyly, hoping his observation had in some way been a veiled compliment.

He sniffed. "Well, first your posture is all wrong. Princesses are supposed to stand up straight, right?"

Thalia's hands shot up to her mouth to hide her dismay. She hadn't realized it before, but in her embarrassment, she'd allowed her shoulders to hunch. Her retainers were forever correcting her posture because poise and elegance did not come naturally to her. Sometimes, when the maids thought no one was listening, she heard them joke that the true heir to the throne had been switched out with a commoner's child at birth, and that was why their princess struggled so hard to fulfill her role.

Drakon continued. "Princesses are supposed to be pretty, aren't they? How come you're so chubby? _Our_ princess is the prettiest girl in Parthevia."

"My maids say I'm pretty," Thalia mumbled, digging the ball of her foot into the manicured lawn of the Kartanon estate. It seemed this boy was not about to develop a crush on her. So much for her first love.

He laughed. "They have to say you're pretty or your father will cut their heads off!"

Thalia gasped. She had never heard anyone talk like that before. In her maids' stories, only bad kings ordered heads chopped off over something so trivial.

"My father would never…"

"All kings do it," Drakon asserted with the certainty of a six year old who'd never had his world view challenged. "He probably just doesn't tell you about it because you're a girl and have a delicate con-sti-tu-tion." He struggled to pronounce the last word. "That's what makes girls like you so boring."

"I'm boring?" she blanched. How could he have already decided she was boring? He'd barely talked to her. He tapped his foot impatiently, as though she were missing something incredibly obvious.

"Can you fight with a weapon?"

"No."

"Do you know how to play tag?"

"No."

"Have you ever wrestled in the mud?"

"No."

He snorted. "Boring."

Her worst fears were confirmed. He hated her. She floundered desperately for something to say to convince him she wasn't boring, but nothing came to mind. Finally, she clutched at her starched skirts and puffed out her cheeks.

"Teach me how to have fun!"

He rolled his eyes and started to walk away.

This was it. She had just lost her first chance at making a friend her age.

* * *

Ja'far was the first to come in after her, poking his head in the door and calling out, "Thalia, Drakon asked me to come check on you. Are you okay?"

No. She wasn't okay. She felt like she would never be okay again. Everything she had cherished growing up had been systematically taken away from her by Parthevia. Her home, her family, her friends… there was nothing left to ground her to the person she once was.

"I'm not," she told him, a fresh wave of tears breaking through at her confession.

He sat on the bed next to her.

"Tell me what happened."

Thalia explained to him how her conversation with Drakon had gone south, how he'd admitted he would have killed her parents had he been asked.

When she finished, Ja'far stared at her, confused. "I don't understand why you're mad. He didn't kill your parents, and he's not the same person he was back then. Why be angry over something he didn't do?"

Maybe Ja'far's words would have sounded reasonable to Thalia if she weren't already an emotional wreck, but right now they just made her angry. They weren't the words she'd wanted to hear. She wanted to hear that she was right to be angry, and that Drakon was in the wrong. Her quiet tears were on the verge of becoming bitter sobs. She didn't want him to see her like this. She wanted to be alone. She did the only thing she could think of to get rid of him.

"Get out."

He gave her a placating smile, perhaps thinking he could still smooth things over.

"You don't really mean—"

"Leave!" she screamed. She hadn't meant to yell at him. She just didn't want him to see her lose control, but it was too late now. She had just shouted at him.

His lips pulled into a thin line and his posture grew rigid. "I know you're angry, but that's no excuse to yell. You want me to leave? Fine."

Thalia buried her head in her knees as he left the room, giving her exactly what she had wished for. She hated herself. She had chased off someone who had only been trying to help her. She was always chasing people away with her crappy personality. She remembered how something similar had happened when she had introduced herself to Drakon. She had chased him off with her dull personality. Today, she let Ja'far leave. She was too broken to do anything else. The day she met Drakon, she had still been young, naive, and full of hope. She had chased after him.

* * *

"Don't leave!" she begged Drakon, tugging on the back of his tunic. "I don't have any other friends, so please…"

He paused, then, slowly, turned around. "You don't have any friends?"

She shook her head, not meeting his eyes. This was her first chance to make a friend her age, and she needed him to like her. Fear of rejection hung over her head, threatening to wet her face with tears. She did what her sister had taught her to keep herself calm. She took in a deep breath and let it back out.

"I guess…" He reached out his hand to her. "...it would be rude for a Dragul to turn down a lady in need, Princess."

Thalia's heart soared. He was giving her a second chance. He had agreed to be her friend. She swallowed, hesitantly taking his hand before quickly withdrawing it and wiping his cooties off on her dress. His hands had felt rough, sweaty, and dirty. She'd never touched a boy before. Did all boys' hands feel like this? Still, she was elated to make a friend, dirty hands or not.

"Please, call me Thalia!" she shouted at an inappropriate volume. She was so excited to make her first friend, she lost all sense of propriety. He winced as her sharp voice assaulted his ears.

"Okay, okay, Thalia, then. Would you like me to teach you a game?"

* * *

Thalia's reminiscing was once again interrupted, this time by Masrur and Sharrkan's quiet entrance. The two boys crossed the room and stopped a safe distance from her, staring at her as though they didn't recognize her. Perhaps news of how she'd treated Ja'far and Drakon had somehow reached them, or perhaps they were just surprised to see her tear-stained face.

"Miss Thalia, are you okay?" Sharrkan asked quietly as Masrur hovered beside him.

"I'm… also worried." Masrur mumbled.

She tried to muster a fake smile so as not to worry them, but her lips wouldn't move. The irritation that she couldn't even protect the children from worrying about her rubbed salt into her wound. Those two didn't deserve this. They didn't deserve to have to worry about her. The one thing she prided herself on was her ability to protect younger children from bitter reality, and she was utterly failing. She couldn't even protect herself from bitter reality.

"Masrur and I heard you were feeling bad again. We wanted to come cheer you up," Sharrkan explained, nerve-wracked at her lack of response. He twiddled his fingers anxiously.

Thalia didn't think they would be able to cheer her up. "Masrur, Sharrkan, thank you, but I don't really feel like talking right now."

"But we can play a game—"

"No!" Her voice came out sharp and hard. Sharrkan flinched, but Masrur's change in demeanor was more subtle. He appeared to tense. She hung her head as Sharrkan's eyes began to water.

"It's okay," he assured her, keeping a brave face. "We'll talk when you're feeling better."

Masrur followed him out, his steps nearly fracturing the boards underneath his feet.

Those two boys had been so thoughtful trying to cheer her up with a game. They couldn't know that the first time she'd learned how to play a game was with Drakon. They couldn't know that they had dredged up a painful memory. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to become immersed in the memory.

* * *

"This game is called tag," Drakon announced as though he were speaking to an entire audience and not a single girl. "There are two roles. The kid who is 'it' has to chase the kids who are 'not it.' If he touches someone who's 'not it', that kid becomes 'it.'"

Thalia didn't, but she was too embarrassed to admit it. She nodded, hoping she would figure it out as they played.

"Fine." He huffed haughtily. "I'll be it first. Get running."

Thalia scurried off the ground and walked at a fast pace, keeping her skirt lifted off the ground. She glanced back at the dumbfounded boy behind her and laughed, feeling the thrill of attempting to escape someone for the first time. Drakon caught up to her within seconds and tapped her on the back. Thalia spun around with her hands in the air.

"Am I it now?"

He ignored her. "What was that? You're supposed to run."

She looked at the ground, embarrassed. Apparently she wasn't supposed to play this game. If she got caught running, even Kayra would scold her.

"I'm not allowed to run… I'll get in trouble."

He made a dissatisfied noise. "Boring. You let your retainers boss you around? You're a princess. You should act like one."

* * *

The door opened once again, interrupting Thalia's reminiscing.

Hinahoho squeezed in, inching his way through the cramped pathway to find her..

"Hey," he sighed, peeking in the narrow space between the bunks. "I heard you're upset." He beamed. "Let me know what I can do to cheer you up, and I'll be right on it."

Thalia laughed bitterly. He was such a nice guy. She didn't deserve a friend like him after how she'd treated Ja'far, Masrur, and Sharrkan. She was terrible. She didn't deserve friends at all. In her self-loathing, she sought to drive him away too. She would be alone forever because she was dumb, awful, stupid, and terrible. She was nothing like a princess.

She tried to think of the most cutting, hurtful thing she could tell him because she didn't want to suffer alone. She wanted to drag him down with her.

"What could you do for me?" she asked flatly. "You rely on Sinbad and your wife for everything. You never killed that rampaging unicorn, did you? Sinbad did." Her voice cracked as she began to regret what she was saying, but it was too late to turn back. Her final words hammered the nail in her own coffin. "You're a man. Try acting like one, then talk to me about what you can do."

As soon as she finished speaking, she covered her own mouth, horrified by what she'd just said. She knew that had to be a sore point for him. More importantly, she didn't believe it even a little bit. Was she so set on ruining her relationships with everyone?

The smile left his face, replaced with a stern expression. "Watch it, Thalia. I just came to help out."

"Hina, I'm sorry…"

He sighed. "I'm going to go cool off a little. That really wasn't okay."

She watched helplessly as he squeezed his way back out Why was she like this? She flopped onto the bed, closing her eyes once again. She had no place to try to tell others how to act. She was a wreck herself.

* * *

Acting like a princess? Whenever anyone else told her to "act like a princess", they meant to keep quiet and obey. Now, here was this boy telling her she should use her authority to do as she pleased. The concept was so foreign to her, like this foreign land full of foreign ideas.

Thalia glanced over at her sister. Kayra seemed absolutely engrossed with her conversation with Barbarossa. Her heart beat spiked. She was going to be disobedient. She was going to run. Her stomach twisted in a knot, but she smiled. She liked this feeling. She kicked off her stiff shoes, wiggling her toes on the cool grass.

"I'll run."

"That's the spirit! This time, it's your turn to catch me!" He dashed off at lighting speed.

Thalia raced after him on clumsy feet. Every so often he stopped to laugh or taunt her as she barrelled toward him at her full speed, which wasn't very fast at at all. She was glad he was having fun. She just felt helpless and inferior. She almost caught up with him as he stopped once more to laugh, but just before she caught him, he took off again.

She bit down on her lip, ignoring her burning legs and her sore lungs. She was going to catch him. She was going to—

Eventually she realized she was never going to catch him. She plopped down on the grass and buried her head between her legs to catch her breath.

She heard a frustrated groan coming from right in front of her. She looked up to find Drakon with his hands on his hips glaring down at her.

"Boring."

"I'm sorry," she gasped between pants. "You're so fast."

"I'm not fast. You're slow." His hard expression softened at the way she wilted under his words. "Hey, what do you like to do for fun?"

* * *

Mystras barged in, a huge smile on his face.

"Thalia~" he sang. "I brought some cards to cheer you up!"

Sitting up, she wiped a tear from her eye. "Hasn't anyone told you? I'm not in the mood to—"

"Relax," he told her, settling on the bed next to her and shuffling his deck of cards. "What you need is a little fun. You'll feel better in no time."

She stared at the cards in his hand. Did he really think a silly card game could make her feel better? Didn't he have anything better to do than bother her?

"I told you, I'm not in the mood."

He nudged her with his elbow. "Somebody's grumpy."

"Yes," she snapped. "I'm grumpy, and you're getting on my last nerve. When I say leave me alone, I want to be left alone!"

She dove back onto the bed, covering her ear with her pillow. After a long, agonizing moment, he let out a loud sigh. The bed creaked underneath her, and his muffled footsteps slowly made their way across the floor.

"You know, you can push people away all you want. We're not giving up on you."

With that, he closed the door behind him. Finally, she was alone once more.

Fun… what did Thalia know about fun? Drakon was the fun one. Thalia had only ever dreamed of having fun.

* * *

"What do I like to do for fun?" Thalia asked. "Sometimes, I practice the lyre or read."

He stared at her blankly. "I asked what you did for fun, not what your maids make you do. Do you play pretend? Throw balls?"

Thalia thought hard. Ever since she turned six, her daily routine had become rigidly centered around her education. In the mornings, she practiced the lyre. In the afternoons, she studied etiquette, numbers, embroidery, and dance. After dinner, she would pray at the temple of Asena, then she might read a passage from the great epics in which her country's history was recorded before sleeping. She liked the stories of the ancient heroes. They were by far the highlight of her day.

"I like the books, even if I'm forced to read them." She looked around furtively to be sure no one was listening. She would be scolded if someone overheard what she was about to say. "I want to be a hero. I want to be strong like the men in the stories. I want to fight with a sword and ride horses."

"Why can't you?" he challenged.

It was her turn to look at him like he was dumb. Shouldn't it be obvious? "I'm a girl. Girls aren't supposed to do those things."

He snorted. "Says who?"

"The goddess Asena. She's the one who protects my country."

These barbarians didn't even know about Asena. No wonder they were so backwards and strange.

"Asena is a girl, right?" He narrowed his yellow eyes in thought. "How does she protect the country without a weapon?"

She blinked. She'd never questioned it before, but the statue of Asena in the temple showed her carrying a spear and a shield, things Thalia had been told were exclusively for men. She hesitated before offering a suggestion. "Maybe she's allowed to use a weapon because she's a goddess, but Father says when girls start to question their place, Asena punishes the whole country."

"That's dumb. Parthevia is the greatest country in the world, and our princess uses weapons all the time. She's not like other girls. She hates wearing dresses and isn't afraid to fight or get dirty."

Thalia gasped. In Attica, a girl like that would be a threat to society. She'd be beaten or forced to pray until she learned her place. Something stirred in the little princess's heart. She wanted to meet this girl who was everything Thalia had ever been told she couldn't be.

"Junior, can I meet the princess?"

Drakon scratched his head. "I don't know. She's older than us and really cool. She might not want to hang out with someone boring like you."

"I'm not boring!" She stomped her foot emphatically.

His laughter was cut off by her sister's voice.

"Thalia, dear! It's time to go." Kayra rushed in and swept her away, fretting over her hair. "How did it get so messy? And where are your shoes? Were you running? Why don't you ever listen—"

* * *

"—Listen to me!"

Thalia blinked at the red haired man leaning threateningly over her. When had Nasha barged in? Where fear had overwhelmed her before, this time she only felt anger.

"Leave me alone!"

Shoving past him, she marched outside to seek shelter with the one person she had neither offended nor been offended by. She went to look for Sinbad.

* * *

Hello, everyone! So, what happened is I wrote the chapter after this intending for it to be published this week (and it will be), and my beta reader encouraged me to elaborate on the things I deal with in this chapter instead of glossing over them. Buuuuuut I'm kind of worried about people seeming out of character in this chapter and my beta reader hasn't had a chance to look at it yet, so please let me know how you think someone would react if they feel OOC, even if it's Thalia. I feel like it's in character for her to explode when she's highly emotional, but I'm more worried about the _way_ she explodes being uncharacteristic. Hopefully, you'll be okay with me using your feedback to improve the chapter. Especially because I don't remember what six year olds are like, I was a little lost writing this chapter in some ways. I don't feel like this is my strongest chapter, but hopefully you guys liked it! If not, I feel like the next chapter will get you hyped, and I'm also publishing it today, so don't give up on me!


	29. Shattered Dream

I just have two words for you guys: You're welcome. (okay, three more: Leave a review.)

* * *

Thalia tapped her fingers impatiently on the box she was leaning against, doing everything within her power to not to lash out at Sinbad, who was innocently minding his own business steering the ship. He glanced over at his restless friend, clearly irritated by the noise of her drumming.

She opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off.

"If it's about Serendine and Drakon again, I don't want to hear about it until after I've talked to them when we reach port," he reminded her.

Thalia closed her mouth, glaring at him. That had been exactly what it was about. It was the fourth time she'd tried to talk about it since she'd joined him out here. Sinbad had let her vent about the topic twice to him already, but the third time he had drawn a line. Sinbad's eyes kept darting over to her as she slumped even lower against the crate, crossing her arms petulantly and tapping her foot instead. His frown deepened.

"Would you like to try steering for a while?" he asked her, apparently trying to placate her so that she would stop irritating him.

"No." She turned her head in the opposite direction of him.

She heard him release a frustrated groan. "You can be such a child sometimes… but I guess this is progress from how you used to be, huh?"

Childish? Thalia would show him childish. She snapped her head back in his direction, causing her head injury to throb.

"Not all of us can be perfect and composed all the time like you are, Sin," she spat. She shrank lower. She had done it again. She had pushed one of her friends away. He was going to be angry with her like all the others.

He locked the wheel into place and approached her, squatting to make himself closer to her eye level.

He raised his eyebrows at her words. "Clearly I'm not perfect and composed, because you're about to drive me crazy with that foot tapping. Please stop."

Thalia slowed her foot tapping to something slower and less noisy. She could do this much for him. He didn't seem as angry with her as she had thought he would be.

"That's a good start, but somehow I'm still not satisfied." He smiled warmly, grabbing her by the wrist and dragging her to her feet.

"S— Sin!" she protested, tugging away from him. She expected him to let go easily, as he always did, but this time he held firm. She balked. She was angry, and his proximity only served to disarm and confuse her. It was the last thing she needed right now.

He tugged her over to the helm, positioning himself behind her and pinning her hands to the wheel.

Nestling his chin in the crook of her neck, he chuckled, his deep voice vibrating in her ear. "It so happens, I have a soft spot for pretty girls. If you keep pouting like that, I won't be able to concentrate. You don't want us to get lost, do you?"

Thalia couldn't help but smile. This was clearly an attempt to cheer her up, and, much to her chagrin, it was working. She hadn't wanted to surrender to him so easily. She had wanted to stay angry. Now, with him so close, she didn't know what she wanted anymore. All she could think about was how if he turned his head even a few degrees, he could kiss the spot on her neck that tingled in anticipation of his lips.

She hated that he had this kind of power over her. She knew she could never allow these fantasies to come to fruition, She had a country to think of, and so did he.

"Sin, this is…"

"Hm?"

Distracting. Confusing. Infuriating.

"You're too close," she choked out. "I don't like it."

"Sorry," he apologized, pulling his head back. Thalia instantly regretted complaining. This new position was worse. The warm breeze of his steady breaths licked against her ears like the tide on a beach, washing away her willpower and depositing desire in its wake.

"Still too close," she squeaked.

"Still?" She could hear the frown in his voice. "Thalia, my arms are only so long. If I pull back any further, I won't be able to help you steer."

Thalia hung her head, burning with embarrassment. She couldn't admit to him that the reason she kept asking him to get further away from her was because she really wanted the exact opposite. She came up with an excuse that was at least partially true.

"I'm trying to be angry. I don't want you to cheer me up."

He hummed impatiently, his hands dropping to his sides. "Turn around and look at me."

Thalia swallowed. He sounded deadly serious. He'd never used that tone with her before. She slowly turned around, meeting her friend's eyes.

"You realize you've been treating all of your friends like shit since this morning, right? You snapped at Ja'far, made Sharrkan cry, yelled at Masrur, chewed Mystras out, insulted Hinahoho, and don't even get me started on how you've treated Drakon."

"I know." She squirmed under his cold gaze. "I'm sorry. It's just that Drakon—"

"He said something that hurt you. You have a head injury, you almost died twice on this trip, and one of the crew members tried to harass you." He counted off the things that he listed on his fingers. "We all understand how stressed you are. None of us are going to hold grudges, but that doesn't mean you should take us for granted. We're your comrades."

"You're right," she agreed somberly.

He brought his hand to her cheek and stroked it gently. "I already let you talk my ear off about Drakon twice today. I'm glad you're opening up, but at this point, you're dwelling on things that nothing can be done about. So, stop trying to be angry and let me cheer you up, okay? If not for your sake, for everyone else's." He smiled charmingly, tilting his head the the side.

"I don't want to be like this," she confessed, tearing up. "I know it's wrong to treat you guys this way, but it's been getting harder and harder to hold things in. I'm so tired of pretending to be okay when I'm not."

He crossed his arms. "Do you want to know what I think? I think you've been stuck."

"Stuck?" She wiped a tear from her eye. What did he mean stuck? Stuck where?

Nodding, he continued, "I think on Ria Venus Island, in order to survive, you locked yourself away. You couldn't touch anyone, and you couldn't be touched. But our connections are what help us grow as people. Because you refused to let anyone in, in some ways, you're still that twelve year old girl. You don't know how to handle your feelings with the finesse you would have if you'd had a normal childhood." He pulled her into a warm, tight embrace. "As awful as it is to see you like this, I'm glad. You're finally trying to deal with your emotions instead of hiding them away behind a smile."

His words put her at ease. He hadn't shamed her, but instead had made her feel like her feelings mattered. He'd given her hope that this loss of control she was feeling was only temporary, and that eventually, her growth would no longer be stunted. She would be able to stand confidently among her friends as their equal, feeling secure and confident. She wasn't a kitten. She was a cub, and she had the potential to grow into a powerful lion.

Feeling heartened, she decided to take him up on his offer to cheer her up.

"You know what would make me happy?" she mumbled into his chest.

"Hm?" He pulled her away to get a better look at her.

"I want to be captain." Her voice coming out stuffy, she grinned up at him.

He tutted at her. "Feeling ambitious today, are we? There's just one problem. In lieu of Captain Reis's absence, I'm the captain, remember?"

"Hogging all the good positions for yourself?" She shook her head disapprovingly. "That's something a tyrant would do."

He grinned, pushing her aside to return to his spot at the helm. "Am I a tyrant or do you just insist on rebelling against your benevolent and wise king?"

"My king?" She scoffed. "I'll have you recall that I'm rightful heir to my own throne and will remain sovereign until I find a husband worthy of relinquishing power to."

His grin fell. "Husband?"

"Of course. Attica is a patriarchy. A woman like me holding power for any length of time is unheard of. I'll be expected to marry immediately in order to legitimize the new king and provide royal heirs."

She shuddered at the thought of performing the task necessary to create the heirs.

"So when you get your country back, you'll be looking for a husband?" His knuckles tightened around the wheel.

"I guess I should already be looking." She pursed her lips. "I suppose Mystras would be an ideal candidate. We get along, he has a powerful family, and he's not in line for his own country's throne anymore." Plus, she knew he wouldn't touch her until she was ready. "Do you think he would be interested in becoming a king?"

Sinbad was quiet for a long time. He didn't look at her. He kept his eyes fixed on the horizon, where the sea met the sky. Just when Thalia was about to repeat her question, he answered, his voice hard. "I don't think Mystras has any ambitions of the sort."

Thalia couldn't make sense of his reaction. Perhaps the idea of her stealing away one of his valued associates was what had upset him. She knew it wasn't because he had wanted her to offer the position to him. She would have if she thought he wanted it. He was intelligent, rational, motivational, and compassionate. He was the kind of leader her people deserved. Her country would thrive under him, and she would be his queen. She would guide him in the ways of his people, help him to understand them better. For her country, there was no better future she could imagine, but what could she possibly say to convince him? He'd already rejected a similar proposal from Serendine out of pride. What hope did someone like Thalia have?

She shook her head. She was selling herself short. She may have only been a cub, but she was still a lion in the making. She would prove herself to him. She would make him see she, and by extension, her country, were worthy of his consideration. She would find a way to present her offer without injuring his ego.

First, she would have to test the waters. She would have to find out if he was willing to acknowledge her as his equal, but how? A thought occurred to her. During this trip, she had been learning as much about the ship as she possibly could. She couldn't imagine there was a question she'd left unasked. Surely she knew everything about the ship by now.

She made her suggestion: "We should be co-captains."

"Huh?" The statement had seemed so out of place in the conversation, he hadn't known how to process it at first. When the words finally sank in, he laughed. "There's no such thing as a co-captain. Ships need to have a single strong leader who can make quick decisions. Adding a second person would unnecessarily complicate things. It would result in mixed loyalties and, in the event of an emergency, chaos."

Thalia wasn't so easily dissuaded. She had anticipated his reluctance and had already prepared a response.

"I could pick up the duties you're not as good at or have little interest in. We could clearly designate who is in charge of what responsibilities. The arrangement could result in increased efficiency and boost morale. You don't have to do everything on your own. You can rely on me." She crossed her arms and cocked her hip to the side expectantly.

His golden eyes locked on to her skeptically. "Thalia, how do sails work?"

She beamed confidently, thinking she would impress him with her answer. "It's common sense. The wind fills the sails and pushes the boat straight forward."

"That's actually not correct," he informed her.

The grin fell off her face, replaced by embarrassment and confusion. She scratched her head sheepishly. How else could sails possibly work?

"It's the other way around," he continued. The wind pulls the sails from the front. We can move at a ninety degree angle to the wind by angling the sails the right way. Although we can adjust our trajectory a little, we can't go directly into the wind." He pointed to the map. "We're headed east. If the wind were coming from the east, we would have to sail in a zigzag pattern to move forward. That's called tacking."

"Tacking," she repeated, trying to store the information for later.

"I can't let you be in charge of anything on this ship." he said, checking the compass. "I know you've been trying hard to learn, but you're still a novice."

His words stung. She was never going to earn his respect as an equal.

He looked back over to her. "Keep learning everything you can about ships. When you've learned everything there is to know, I'll acknowledge you as my co-captain." He grinned. "I look forward to that day."

Thalia's heart pounded in her chest. He believed in her potential. He was out of her grasp, but if she worked hard enough, she could reach him.

* * *

Sinbad scanned the ship to ensure the crew were doing their jobs properly. No one seemed to be slacking off except Nasha, but that was to be expected. So long as he left Thalia alone, Sinbad was about ready to let him do whatever he wanted. There had been enough strife on this trip. Sinbad was exhausted. Being the one in charge was often rewarding, but it could also be draining. He found himself wishing for a moment that he did have a co-captain, someone he could share his burdens with. Then the moment passed, and he remembered that no matter how competent his friends were, he alone could always choose the right path. He was the one that would always be ahead of them, leading the way.

His lips twitched into a smile as he remembered how earnestly Thalia had believed that she could help. It had been so thoughtful and cute, he'd played along. It would take her years to master everything she needed to know, but now she had a goal to focus on besides being angry. He had even assigned her first mission. He had sent her to Mystras to learn how to tie sailing knots, but…

He dared to glance in their direction. Thalia and Mystras were huddled together against the main mast. Thalia appeared to be pestering the red-haired knight to teach her yet another knot. Sinbad shook his head, feeling bad for Mystras. When Thalia had approached him, it had been mid afternoon. Now the sun was setting, lighting the sky afire.

 _Hang in there, Mystras. Soon there won't be enough light and she'll have to find something else to do._

Mystras leaned over and corrected her as she made some kind of mistake. Sinbad's stomach clenched, not for the first time this evening. Every time their shoulders or their fingertips brushed, this same sensation grabbed a hold of him.

Sinbad had never thought this day would come. He was jealous of Mystras, of all people, because some girl had expressed an interest in marrying him.

He pursed his lips. Not just some girl— his best friend, the girl he'd sworn off of twice now. He had been jealous before, but the threat of losing her forever had never felt so eminent. Watching her go on a date with someone she liked was one thing, but as soon as she reclaimed her country, she would be taking a husband. Sinbad didn't know how to handle that revelation.

The sound of footsteps approaching broke though his ruminating. Sinbad turned around to see Ja'far standing with his hands folded in front of him.

"Why don't you take a break," the boy suggested gently. "You've been steering all day. I'll take over for a while."

Sinbad nodded. A break would be for the best. He stepped aside and let Ja'far take the wheel. His feet began to carry him forward. He didn't know where he was going. He just wanted to move after standing still for so long. He delved back into the abyss of his thoughts, mechanically thumping down the stairs.

He wasn't even sure why he was jealous. Thalia was revealing herself to be more turbulent than he'd previously believed of her. He'd seen the cracks in her careful facade, but he hadn't realized how deep within her they ran. She'd severely mistreated several of his closest friends today. He'd always thought she was incapable of the things she'd reportedly said and done. Her behavior had certainly damaged his image of her as a benevolent protector.

He reached the bottom of the stairs and turned, bringing his hand up to his chin in thought.

The real Thalia was so different from dream Thalia. Dream Thalia was flawless— patient, understanding, beautiful… Of course, the real Thalia was all of those things as well, but she was much more complicated. She could also be petulant, spoiled, and, as she had proven today in her treatment of his friends, mean. It began to occur to him that even before she'd started appearing in his dreams, he'd seen dream Thalia. On Meditrinalia, he'd nearly kissed her. How many times had he confused the real Thalia with the image of her that he'd conjured up? Had he ever really seen Thalia before now?

He had called her his best friend and he hadn't even known who she really was.

His feet stopped walking. He looked around, trying to figure out where they had taken him.

"Sin?" Thalia blinked up at him, holding a sloppily tied rope in her hands.

"Wanna sit?" Mystras offered, patting the ground next to him.

Sinbad didn't immediately answer. He was too busy noticing how flat and dull Thalia's mop of hair sat upon her head. Her forehead was pocked by a few small acne scars, and her eyes were bruised from many sleepless nights. Even her nose was just a little bit too big for her face. Dry lips parted into a curious smile.

"Is there something on my face?" she asked nervously as he studied her.

He had never noticed any of these things about her before, or if he had, he'd completely dismissed them, but they were a part of her, weren't they? They were a part of her, and still, she was beautiful. Still, he wasn't willing to let Mystras or anyone else have her.

He gave her his most charming grin. She was nothing more than a diversion from his goal of founding a country, but maybe he could afford a distraction every once in a while. It never had to become anything serious. He just needed to win her over so she would forget about marriage for as long as possible. They would just have a little fun together. No one would get hurt. He squatted down to her eye level.

"You know, I've been thinking…" he said, taking her hand as Mystras watched in awe. "It's really quite cruel to the rest of the world when a beauty like you is cooped up on a ship like this. Are you ready to go home tomorrow?"

She stammered, turning pink. He raised his eyebrows. He was starting to think he understood why she had been acting strangely around him lately. He stroked her wrist with his thumb. He was going to take this slowly for her sake, because he liked her. He liked the broken girl who kept struggling to put herself back together even when it clearly hurt like hell. He liked the girl with the pretty face and the big nose. He liked her, even with her flaws. He liked Thalia, and he was finally willing to admit it.


	30. Letting Go

Thalia stood in the dim, flickering light of a lamp, facing an audience of her friends. They stood there in the dark, mostly looking perturbed. Hinahoho crossed his arms expectantly, staring her down, while Ja'far looked away petulantly. Drakon's stiff posture told her he really didn't want to be there, while Sharrkan kept his tearful gaze on the ground, and Masrur watched her impassively. Sinbad and Mystras stood behind the others, giving her an encouraging thumbs up. She smiled weakly at them. Aside from Sinbad, she had offended each of her friends in some way today. Mystras had already received his apology before he started teaching her to tie knots, but five apologies still remained. She wiped her sweaty palms on her dress and began to recite the speech Sinbad and Mystras had helped her prepare.

"Today, I let my emotions get the best of me. I said horrible things to each of you, even though you were only trying to help me." A slight shift in her audience told her they were listening, so she continued, approaching Ja'far.

"I shouldn't have yelled at you. I'm sorry."

The freckled boy didn't turn his head, but he could see his eyes move cautiously in her direction. She relaxed a little. It seemed like she had begun to mend the bridges with him. Four more to go.

Next, she held out her hand to Hinahoho. "Hina, I'm sorry I said you weren't a real man. You're the manliest guy I know." He did not take her hand, but his crossed arms, which had previously been tense, relaxed a little.

She breathed a sigh of relief. Three more apologies left. Turning to Sharrkan, she addressed him:

"Little Sharr, can I call you that?" He nodded, still not looking up at her. "I'm so, so sorry I snapped at you earlier and hurt your feelings. Can you forgive me?"

He lifted his head and wiped a tear from his eye. "Yeah."

Smiling, she pulled him into a warm hug. He'd been the quickest to forgive her, and it meant the world to her. He was such a sweet kid. She hoped he never changed. She turned her attention to the little boy next to him. Two to go.

Masrur's placid demeanor might have fooled someone else, but Thalia, who had spent much of her life hiding her feelings, noticed the tiny little tells in his clenched jaw, and the slight downturn of his lips. She knelt down next to him.

"Masrur, I hurt your feelings too, didn't I?"

He looked up at her with eyes devoid of emotion. "Not really."

She didn't believe that.

"Well, I want to apologize anyway. You didn't deserve to be yelled at."

She thought she saw his hardened jaw soften just a little.

She walked back to her starting point and addressed Drakon, her last and most important admission of wrongdoing. She wasn't ready to give him an intimate apology like the others, but she did want to set things right with him.

"Drakon, I said something horrible to you. I was angry. I still am, but I recognize that doesn't excuse what I said. I'm sorry."

Drakon's posture straightened a little. In return, she gave him a small, tentative smile. Maybe things between them weren't irreparable.

Thalia picked up a bundle of ropes on the ground. "I've tied these using a double fisherman's knot." Mystras winked at her encouragingly. He had been the one that taught her that knot. "This kind of knot is impossible to untie. I want it to represent the bond we all share together. My wish is that, should you choose to accept it, no matter how bad a fight we get into, we'll always forgive each other— that we'll be inseparable… because you guys are my precious friends, and I'm lucky to have every one of you."

She walked over to Ja'far first, offering him a knotted pair of ropes. He finally turned his head toward her.

"We all have our moments," the boy said with a small smile, accepting her gift. Thalia breathed a sigh of relief.

She turned to Hinahoho.

"Am I really the manliest guy you know?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

She nodded. She couldn't think of anyone who fit her description of a man better: strong, courageous, tender, and selfless. That was Hinahoho.

He grinned. "Well, it was never really a question whether or not I was going to accept one, but thank you for the compliment."

"Any time," she told him as he took her offering. Another weight lifted off her shoulder. Hinahoho had forgiven her.

Next, she approached Sharrkan again and smiled, holding out the knot she had tied for him. "Friends forever?"

He nodded enthusiastically, taking the rope from her hands and cradling it as though it were precious.

"This is the first gift I've received from a friend," he told her, his large eyes glistening with joy.

"And I promise it won't be the last." She remembered how much small gestures from her friends had meant to her in those early years. She empathized with the small boy's enthusiasm.

Her attention returned once again to Masrur. "Apology accepted?"

He grunted, taking the knot from her as a rare smile touched his lips. Thalia felt like she'd just witnessed something monumental.

Thalia took a deep breath and turned to Drakon. She would make this oath with him, but only on one condition:

"I'll forget everything you told me today. I'll forgive you if you promise me that the Drakon sitting before me today is a different person from the one that was willing to kill my parents for his country."

He took the rope with his large scaly hand. "I promise. I would never hurt you."

Thalia released a sigh of relief and embraced him. She had been afraid he would reject her, that their rift was irreparable. "Thank you."

His large hands wrapped around her back in response, gentle and warm. She felt small and safe in the brief moment before she pulled away. When she looked back up at him, he was grinning from ear to ear. His smile was contagious, and her lips pulled into an involuntary grin, lifting her mood along with it.

In her hands remained two small knots. She turned to Mystras and Sinbad.

"I can't forget you two. You both helped me so much today."

She held her gifts out to the two boys and they accepted them graciously.

Mystras immediately stashed it in his turban, but Sinbad held his knot up, inspecting it curiously. "Inseparable, huh?"

Thalia nodded. If her plans came to fruition, she would never leave his side. The key to her perfect life was standing before her, looking at her gift as though she had just given him a precious gem. He tossed it in the air and caught it with his hand, tucking it into the breast pocket of his coat.

"Alright," he finally said, as if coming to some kind of conclusion. "We're inseparable."

* * *

After fourteen days of confinement on that ship, several of which she had been forced to spend constantly hovering around her friends thanks to Nasha's insistence that she see the "truth" about Sinbad, the ship docked in Balbadd. Thalia waited impatiently for the dock workers to raise the ramp that would enable her to once again walk upon the the vast expanse of land that was Balbadd.

Masrur and Sharrkan waited beside her, Sharrkan anxiously clinging to his Heliohaptian tunic. Thalia supposed he was nervous about his new home. She gave him a reassuring smile, despite the turmoil she was feeling herself. Today, as soon as they set foot back on land, Sinbad had promised her he would pull Drakon into his office so that the two boys could discuss the things Thalia had been told on the ship.

Thalia glanced around the dock, attempting to find Serendine's ship among the ones at port. It was useless. They all looked the same. Assuming Serendine had arrived first, today would also be the day Sinbad heard whatever pathetic excuses she might come up with to paint herself as a victim in all this. Drakon had already done a decent job of that for her, but the fact remained Serendine had killed her family. Thalia could not forgive that, even with the nagging doubts that had begun to plague her. She clenched her fists, reinforcing her hatred for Serendine. She could not back down now. She could not let compassion for her enemy blind her to what was important.

"You're making that face again," Ja'far noted, approaching her. "I think you scared Sharrkan."

 _Shit._ He was right. Thalia consciously forced her demeanor to relax before glancing once again at the young prince, who was quaking with terror as he gazed up at her. She plastered on a serene smile and bent down to his eye level.

"Sorry about that, little Sharr. I was just thinking about something unpleasant. I didn't realize I looked so scary."

Sharrkan relaxed at her reassurance and sound of wood clacking against wood drew their attention to the side of the ship.

 _Finally_. She was being set free from the boat. She was going to receive justice. Everything was falling into place.

She watched Sinbad as he spoke with Drakon in hushed voices. They stopped and glanced in her direction. Both of them looked tired and strained. Sinbad slung his bag over his shoulder and Drakon daintily lifted his by the strap using two taloned fingers. Thalia's eyes followed them as they disembarked from the ship and headed in the direction of Sinbad's office. Her heartbeat quickened. It was time.

Without a word of explanation, she abandoned Ja'far, Masrur, and Sharrkan. She wouldn't be able to sit in on Sinbad and Drakon's meeting, but she could do the next best thing: eavesdrop.

At least, that had been her plan. She arrived outside Sinbad's office and was preparing to place her ear on the door when someone cleared his throat.

"That's a private meeting, Thalia." Ja'far stood with his legs spread shoulder width apart and his arms crossed. He had apparently followed her from the ship. She grimaced, backing away from the door.

"You followed me?" she asked.

He shrugged. "You haven't seemed like yourself since yesterday. I was worried about you."

Thalia was too upset that he had interrupted her intelligence gathering to be touched by his words. In fact, she wasn't sure she believed him. Part of her thought his true reasoning for following her had been to prevent her from listening at the door. Had Sinbad put him up to this?

She gritted her teeth. _That bastard tyrant._

Now severely restricted in her ability to listen in on the discussion, she paced outside the office furiously, trying to catch the snippets of conversation that drifted through the wooden door. Ja'far's eyes followed her back and forth, concern etching itself across his face.

Finally, he asked, "Do you really think she killed your family? I just… can't see it."

Thalia whipped around to face him, his words stinging. He was her friend. He was supposed to believe her.

"Of course she did it. You think she hasn't killed people? She's a warrior with the nickname 'Venomous Spider Princess'."

Ja'far sighed. "Oh, no. I believe she's killed people, but you two were friends, weren't you? How could she—"

"She's heartless!" Thalia shouted too loudly. Why didn't anyone else understand? Serendine was a monster. She didn't have feelings. At least, that's what Thalia wanted to believe.

The muffled voices behind the closed door paused for a moment before resuming.

"What are you going to do if Sin doesn't send her away?" Ja'far whispered, as if trying to make up for her outburst just now.

"Of course he's sending her away," Thalia laughed, throwing her head back. She'd been so stupid to be insecure before. He'd promised they were partners now. Sinbad had her back.

"Why don't you sit down," Ja'far suggested gently. "You're kind of worrying me."

She shot him a glare. Of course she wasn't herself. She couldn't afford to let her sympathetic, weak self out. If she started to allow herself to see things in shades of gray, the way Drakon had tempted her to do yesterday, her family would never be avenged. Her grudge with Serendine needed to be vindicated. It was too late to turn back. She was too proud to admit she was wrong.

The door opened and Drakon stepped out.

"Will you please tell Serendine to come?" Sinbad requested from out of sight. "I want to get her side of the story."

Thalia rushed into Sinbad's office as Drakon lumbered away. Her friend stood by his desk with his hands in his pockets. He looked exhausted. Thalia knew she wasn't helping. A pang of guilt rippled through her chest, but it died out quickly. She needed to be right about Serendine. If she wasn't… no, she definitely wasn't wrong.

"He told you, didn't he? That she killed my parents?" Her words were hurried, almost manic.

"Just wait a little bit longer. Please." His gaze moved to behind her. "Ja'far, please escort Thalia back outside. Help her calm down."

"Wait—"

Ja'far interrupted her, grabbing her by the shoulders and steering her back outside. She glanced over her shoulder as Sinbad brought a hand to his forehead, shaking his head in exasperation.

"Sit." Ja'far ordered her, positioning her in front of the chair outside Sinbad's office. She obeyed, intimidated by the command in his tone.

Thalia and Ja'far's heads both swiveled as footsteps approached Sinbad's office. Thalia watched vindictively, raising her chin as Sinbad called Serendine inside. He was going to send her away and Thalia could finally have a bit of justice in her life. She would never have to see that wretched woman again.

Ja'far shook his head at her expression.

"This isn't you. You're angry. It's understandable, considering the circumstances, but there's no way the gentle, rational Thalia I know was all an act."

Thalia wiped her sweaty hands on her dress.

"You think I'm being irrational?"

"I think you're cracking under the stress of this whole thing." Ja'far knelt down to her eye level. "What are you going to do if she stays? You can't go on like this. You're going to fall into depravity at this rate."

"Fall into… what?"

"Depravity." Ja'far repeated. "When a person rejects their fate, their rukh turn black. It feeds on hatred and resentment. You're letting your hatred control you. You've got to let some of this go."

Tears sprung to Thalia's eyes. It was easy for Ja'far to talk about letting things go. What did he know about grudges?

He brought his hand to his shoulder and the scars caught Thalia's eye. Maybe he did know something after all.

"Were you able to let go of your anger toward whoever did that to you?" she asked, studying the pale white lines.

"I'm still angry," Ja'far confessed, "but I don't let it control me." He withdrew his hand, fixing his eyes on the floor. "I've… nearly fallen into depravity before. It's not a good place to be, Thalia."

Thalia gasped, tightening her hold on the arms of the chair. Ja'far was so bright and energetic. Yes, he could be irritable and sarcastic, but she couldn't imagine him being so consumed by hate that he'd nearly fallen into depravity.

He stood back up.

"Channel your anger into something productive. Use it constructively. You're in control."

"I understand." Thalia needed to get herself together. No matter how understanding her friends were, they only had so much patience. She couldn't take them for granted. She needed to focus on becoming unstuck.

Thalia turned her head as the door opened.

A twinge of guilt hit her as she watched Serendine come out. The Parthevian princess held herself in as dignified a manner as ever, but tears streamed down her face. She threw a glance in Thalia's direction, her face crumpling before she turned away and marched in the opposite direction. Did she feel remorse for what she'd done? No, that couldn't be it. She was upset because Sinbad was kicking her out.

Sinbad poked his head out and motioned for Thalia to enter his office. He settled himself in his oversized chair and motioned for her to take a seat across from him. Sitting down, Thalia held her breath, waiting for the good news.

"I talked to Serendine," Sinbad began. She leaned forward in her chair, gripping its arms until her fingers ached.

He continued, "I believe what she told me. I'm not sending her away. I think you should talk to her too when you're ready. You should hear what she has to say, especially concerning your sister."

"What can she possibly have to say?" Thalia snapped bitterly. No amount of pretty words and lies could justify what her former friend had done.

"You should hear it from her, not from me." His eyes dropped to his lap. "I don't think you'll like it."

Thalia scoffed. Serendine had seduced him. That was why he was refusing to take Thalia's side. Serendine was the most vile kind of woman— No. Thalia couldn't think like that anymore. It was like Ja'far said. She was letting her hatred control her. She took in a deep breath and let it out, centering herself.

Sinbad reached a hand toward her, resting it on the table when it didn't reach. She responded by closing the distance and resting her own hand on his.

"I hate seeing you so unhappy." Sinbad told her, "Aside from sending Serendine away, what can I do to make this whole thing easier on you?"

"I don't think there's anything you can do," she confessed, "but Ja'far and I had a talk. He helped me realize some things. I'll accept your decision, but I'm not going to start playing nice with her."

He sighed in relief, sitting back up and smiling pensively. His warm hand slipped out from under Thalia's, dropping hers onto the cold wooden desk.

"This conversation went a lot better than I expected it to," he said. "I'll have to give Ja'far a raise."

"If the company has money for raises, can I have one too?" Thalia asked, in part to lighten the mood, in part because she really did want one. She didn't need the money, but earning it felt good.

He barked a laugh.

"You never pass up an opportunity, do you?" He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "The answer is no this time. I just gave you a raise."

Thalia huffed in mock indignation.

"I'm going on strike."

"While you're outside picketing, do you mind handing out a few recruitment flyers?" Sinbad teased. "We're going to need to find someone to replace you."

She struggled to contain her laughter.

"You're firing me? What a tyrant."

He raised his eyebrows as though she'd just challenged him to prove that he was indeed a tyrant. Picking up a blank sheet of paper off his desk, he tore it in half.

"That was your employment contract."

"Good." she giggled. "Maybe I can finally offer my talents somewhere they'll be appreciated."

"Don't even think about it," he threatened. "You're very important. I couldn't fire you if I wanted to."

"Is that so?" She arched an eyebrow, leaning back in the chair. "If I'm that important, you should really reconsider that raise."

"I'm glad you're feeling better," he observed, shaking his head with disbelief as he returned to his work.

Thalia left his office in a much better mood than before. She pondered Ja'far's advice about channeling her anger into something constructive. She supposed she could pick up a new hobby. She'd always avoided weaving and embroidery because they held no interest for her, but nothing else she could think of seemed appealing either.

The next day, Thalia was still so plagued by her conundrum that she woke up several hours early. She quietly dressed herself in her company uniform and pulled her hair into a messy braid, careful not to wake any of the other girls in the room. Slipping outside, she stretched, enjoying the beautiful spring morning. Their air was warm and pleasant, already filled with floral notes from the blooming buds in the gardens.

 _It would be a shame to spend a day like this indoors_ , she thought to herself, heading for the courtyard, where she would be able to admire the beauty of the flowers. When she arrived, however, she realized it was already occupied.

"Hyah!" A warrior maiden swung her sword through the air, creating an elegant arch. Beautiful pink hair fanned out in every direction from the sheer force of the delivery. One by one, the woman gracefully took down imaginary opponents.

Thalia watched her every movement with awe. She was strong. she was powerful. She commanded respect. Thalia wanted to be like her. Thalia wanted to be like… Serendine.

She almost laughed bitterly at the realization. The very idea that she would want to emulate anything about Serendine was ludicrous, but…

She did. She held up her hand, remembering the first time she had gripped Serendine's sword with it. She remembered the feel of the leather grip around the handle. She remembered—

She looked back up at the graceful girl before her, her mouth going dry.

She remembered _everything_ , even the things she'd tried so hard to forget.

* * *

This feels like a two chapter release week! Look for Chapter 24 to be released within the next couple of days, assuming I finish it. The next chapter will be a flashback and, well, we might find out some things about Thalia she's forgotten herself up until now. I wonder if you'll be happy with what you find out? I've been trying to foreshadow it _forever._ I'd love to hear your speculations on what that is. (please speculate! I've been sitting on this reveal for months!)

I'd also love to hear your thoughts about this chapter. Did anything stick out to you? Please leave a review!


	31. First Love

Oh boy. I hope you guys can forgive me lol. Please keep the hate mail polite.

Content warning: biphobia

* * *

Thalia was eight years old, and she had never had a crush. The only boy outside her family she'd ever held a conversation with was Drakon. She wanted to like him. She wanted to fall in love, but she couldn't. She was only eight, but she was growing impatient. Her head was filled with tales of romance, and she wanted to act them out, to mimic them with someone. She had hoped that person would be Drakon, but she could only see him as a friend. Maybe she was never going to like him. Maybe she was never going to like anyone.

She sat next to him on the wall of his garden, kicking her legs out, sending the skirts of her dress flaring wildly. Drakon was hunched over, his hands gripping his knees. He seemed nervous today, but he hadn't said why. Thalia didn't understand why he wouldn't just come out with whatever was bothering him. After all, it's not like there was anything he could say that would make her angry. She couldn't afford to get angry at her only friend.

Thalia rolled her head lazily toward him to ask, "What's up with you today?"

He gritted his teeth, as though he were biting something back. Finally, he admitted, "Princess Serendine is visiting today!"

Ah. The perfect princess that lived the life Thalia longed for. Drakon talked about her constantly. She had become some sort of mythical figure to Thalia, someone who couldn't possibly exist— the most beautiful girl in Parthevia, the best sword fighter in their age group, the kindest person on the planet.

Thalia was jealous. Her only friend never talked about her that way. She didn't like him romantically, but that didn't mean she didn't want to feel wanted. Her irritation was quickly replaced by curiosity. Why would Drakon be so tight lipped about the other princess's visit? So she asked him:

"Why not just come out and say it?"

He shrugged. "We're probably going to sword fight the whole time. You're going to be bored, and I feel like a bad host."

Her head lulled back once again, gazing up at the blue summer sky. So that was it, huh? He was so chivalrous, he felt bad that Thalia wouldn't be able to be included in the kinds of games they would play, especially since…

She glanced in the direction of the retainer that had been sent by her mother's family to accompany her on today's visit. Kayra had originally planned on coming, but according to the maids' whispers, she had confessed to Barbarossa and been rejected. She was too humiliated to visit him now. The retainer, a stern woman who had seemed impossibly old to Thalia, but in reality was probably only in her mid thirties, watched her with hawkish eyes.

That's why she and Drakon weren't getting into some kind of mischief at the moment. Her mother's family was slightly less strict than life with her father, but running and sword fighting were still forbidden. Thalia often wondered if her life was normal. She used to take it for granted that it was, but she wasn't so sure anymore. Her mother's family insisted that as a princess, she needed to behave in a certain way, but how come the princess of Parthevia could do all the things Thalia couldn't? She longed to meet people her age and fit in with them. Today, she was going to meet someone new, but she wouldn't be able to play. That sucked a lot of the excitement out of the momentous occasion.

"I'll have fun watching," she lied. She would be daydreaming about holding the sword herself the whole time, pretending she were in their shoes. It wouldn't be as fun as actually holding a sword, which she had yet to do, but it would be a poignant experience for her nonetheless.

Drakon was about to say something when a servant interrupted. "Young Master, Princess Serendine has arrived."

So this was it. Thalia was finally meeting her. She wasn't sure if she was excited, but she definitely wasn't nervous. She felt as if she'd already known her fellow princess for lifetimes. She didn't think of this moment as meeting someone new. She thought of it as a reunion with an old friend whose face she'd never seen. Thalia wondered if she would immediately get along with the princess, or if she would struggle to earn her friendship like she had with Drakon.

The two children hopped down from the wall, following the servant down a long hallway and to the entryway, where a girl with long, pink hair stood facing away from them, her legs spread apart, one hand on her hip.

Thalia took a silent, deep breath, trying to hide her surprise. The girl was not wearing a dress, but instead was dressed like a boy, in pants and a tunic. A sword dangled from her side, furthering the air of boyishness the princess exuded. Drakon had told Thalia Serendine hated dresses, but Thalia hadn't really been able to fathom what the reality of that statement meant. Thalia had never seen a girl dress this way. She hadn't known it was possible. This was only the first of the realms of possibility Serendine would open for her.

Drakon bent down on one knee, holding up a fist to his chest. "Welcome, Princess Serendine."

The girl turned around, her shiny, tulip petal hair flowing elegantly behind her. She froze when her soft eyes rested on Thalia.

"Why aren't you bowing?" Serendine didn't look angry, just confused.

Drakon lowered his head. "This is Princess Thalia Alexandris of the neighboring country of Attica."

A smoldering flame was already kindling itself inside of Thalia. Serendine was indeed the most beautiful girl in Parthevia, maybe in the entire world. Her gentle, pink eyes, framed by long, delicate eyelashes, exuded warmth and familiarity. Her sweet lips pulled up into a welcoming smile as a slender hand reached out to Thalia.

"Thalia, then. It's nice to meet a fellow princess. I hope we get along."

Thalia wanted to respond. She wanted to say something that would impress her fellow princess, but her mouth was thick, as though it were glued shut with honey. Her own useless stammering was drowned out by the blood rushing in her ears.

Thalia didn't know what she was feeling at the time. She told herself it was admiration. She was meeting the girl Drakon had spent so long building up in her head, and here was the legend herself. Whose knees wouldn't feel like jelly? Whose hands wouldn't tremble? The way she was feeling was natural, inevitable. She would allow herself to be swept away by it, to revel in it, to drown even.

Serendine cocked her head to the side curiously as Thalia choked on her own words.

"Are you okay?"

Drakon rushed to Thalia's rescue. "She's shy. She'll warm up to you eventually."

Eventually? Thalia was already warm. She was so warm she was sweating. She watched helplessly as the two Parthevians walked down the brightly lit hallway and into the gardens, following them on the clumsy stilt legs of a newborn foal. As her friend and this new girl prepared to battle, she found a cool place in the shade and collapsed, willing her racing heart to slow. This fluttering feeling was just excitement at making a new friend, she told herself. How was she, inexperienced as she was, to know any differently?

Serendine and Drakon each drew their swords and began a delicate dance, circling each other, waiting for an opening. Thalia focused on this fascinating new girl, watching her every movement, every feint, every false start. Then Serendine lunged, her long, beautiful hair trailing behind her. Drakon barely dodged her attack, falling onto his rear end.

Thalia marvelled at her fellow princess. She was beauty, grace, strength, power. She was everything Thalia wanted to be. She was everything Thalia wanted to cherish.

Then, when the match was over, Serendine did the unthinkable: she approached Thalia.

"You seem pretty interested," the pink haired princess observed. "Do you like swords?"

This time, Thalia managed to choke out a reply. "I do."

Thalia liked swords, and she liked the girl who wielded them.

"What kind of sword do you usually use?" Serendine asked, bending sideways in a stretch.

"Oh, I'm not allowed to use them," Thalia hurriedly corrected her, "but I like to look at them, and I like to watch. You were amazing out there… like really cool."

If she'd had the vocabulary at the time, Thalia would have gone so far as to say Serendine was breathtaking.

Serendine's cheeks flushed at the compliment, and Thalia felt a surge of hope, though she did not realize at the time just what she was hoping for. She only knew these powerful, foreign emotions for this powerful, foreign girl felt simultaneously pleasant and frightening, strange and familiar. The one thing they did not feel was wrong.

"I bet with some practice, you would be just as good as I am. Would you like to touch it?" Serendine shifted her sheathed sword on her hip, positioning it for Thalia to get a better view. Thalia's eyes rested longingly on the weapon. She wanted to touch it, to feel the crisp leather grip or run her fingers along the smooth, metallic blade, even just once.

She looked over at the hawkish retainer, who was frowning disapprovingly, and wilted.

"I can't. I'd be punished."

Serendine followed her gaze to the woman in the background. She turned back and nodded to Thalia, as though she understood.

"Come to the palace sometime. I can order everyone away. No one has to know."

That night, in bed, as Thalia closed her eyes, she imagined herself fighting side by side with Serendine, wielding a sword to fight off enemies. Then, standing triumphant in the middle of the battle field, the two girls would join hands. That was where her fantasies stopped that night. It wasn't so strange for two friends to hold hands, so she didn't question why Serendine had taken the place of a man in her romantic fantasies. There were so many things she didn't know or understand yet back then.

Within the next few days, Thalia would have her eyes opened to many things, but, for the moment, she drifted off into sleep, young and ignorant.

The next day, Barbarossa showed up at the family's front door asking to see Kayra. Thalia watched Kayra fret about her hair, shouting at the maids to hurry up and help make her presentable. Thalia had watched wide-eyed at her sister's erratic behavior. Kayra usually seemed so calm and collected, but here she was losing her mind over a boy.

Thalia snuck downstairs and let herself into the greeting room, eying the boy her sister was going mad over curiously. He was dressed in his usual gentlemanly attire, but today he had brought flowers.

"Are those for Kayra?" Thalia asked timidly. "Do you like my sister?"

He didn't respond. Instead, she thought he sneered at her. She shrank away, but offered him a warning in an attempt to help her sister.

"Don't let my father find out you were here. Kayra gets in trouble when she talks to boys."

Thalia remembered some gossip she had heard that Kayra had once been caught talking to a guard and apparently had been punished severely for it. They had said that was why she spent most of her time away from Attica. Thalia was afraid if Kayra got in trouble again, she would never come back and then she would be alone in the palace forever.

He scoffed. "You people really are backwards."

She puffed out her cheeks and stared at Barbarossa, wanting to defend her country from his slander, but then Kayra walked in, much more put together than she had been moments ago.

She glanced over at Thalia and smiled. "Were you two talking?"

"You two are always saying Attica is backwards," Thalia pouted. "It's not. My people deserve respect too. Nobody is better than anyone else because of where they come from."

Kayra's lips pulled into a gentle smile. "It's understandable you feel that way, dear, but Parthevia is objectively better than Attica. Surely you've seen how much better you're treated here than you are there. Atticans are simply inferior."

Thalia took in a sharp breath. Her sister had just called half of her inferior. Thalia clung to her Attican identity with fierce pride. She loved her country and its people. She loved their history, their accomplishments, and, objectively, so did Parthevia and Reim. According to Thalia's history lessons, both countries had borrowed heavily from Attican culture, particularly Reim.

Attica's main export was its arts— its pottery and sculptures were highly prized among the Reim elite, and in Parthevia to a lesser extent. Attica also exported many successful performers: actors, singers, and dancers. Even the slaves from areas most heavily influenced by the former Attican empire were prized because they tended to be well educated and still had familiarity with Attican art techniques. Like the pottery for which Attica was renown, her country had helped shape the world into what it was today.

She had every reason to be proud of the country she would one day inherit. Why couldn't Kayra or Barbarossa see it? She was treated better here, but only a little. She was nearly as suffocated at her mother's family house as she was back in the palace.

A tear streamed down her cheek— disappointment, anger, and hurt all contained in the tiny droplet. No one understood her, not even Kayra, her sister whom she idolized. The things she loved were always being put down by the people who were supposed to care about her, first her interests, and now even her heritage.

"There there, dear," Kayra muttered, pulling out a handkerchief and wiping Thalia's face. "Someone was going to have to tell you eventually. But look at you, you have so many fine Parthevian traits. There's hope for you yet."

"Doubtful," Barbarossa mused from the sofa.

Kayra turned to him and gave him a dark look. "Did you come here to insult me further or have you finally come to your senses?"

"I've already told you, you need to trust me. I have ambitions that—" He glanced at Thalia, remembering she was in the room. "That I can't talk about in front of your sister. If you give me your support, I can give you everything you asked for and more, but you need to be patient."

Kayra's bright eyes glittered with some unspoken emotion. "I can be patient. I always have been, haven't I? Since we were little, I was always waiting for you to look my way. Of course I'll support your ambitions." Her voice hardened, taking on a quality Thalia had never heard come from her sister's mouth before. "But I can't stop thinking about how easy it would be for you to forget about me along the way. That's why I want some kind of guarantee that you won't."

Leaving the flowers on the couch, he stood up and took several steps toward Thalia's sister. "As long as you're useful to me, you'll get your reward someday. Have I ever gone back on my word?"

"I'm holding you to it. There is nothing more powerful than a woman's desire, and I have my heart set on only one thing." Kayra closed the distance between them, placing her palm on his chest. "I'll go to any lengths to claim what's mine."

Barbarossa smiled, bringing his hand to her cheek. "That's exactly what I need from you, now and in the future."

Thalia slipped out into the grand entryway quietly. Even though seeing her sister behave like such a different person had been unsettling, she dismissed everything she had just heard as an affectionate moment between her sister and the guy she liked. Thalia had simply been an intruder, someone not meant to witness their private conversation.

As she began to walk away, a knock on the front door signalled the arrival of another visitor.

A slave opened the door to a man in full Parthevian armor, complete with a pointy hat with a fur tassel on top. Thalia looked at him inquisitively as her grandmother, Uparmiya, scrambled down the grand staircase to greet him.

"Oh my, to what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?" the woman asked brightly.

The guard cleared his throat. "The princess Serendine Dikumenowlz Du Parthevia has requested Princess Thalia Alexandris come to the palace for a playdate."

Uparmiya's calculating eyes landed on Thalia. "I wasn't aware you knew our illustrious princess."

"We met yesterday at Junior's," Thalia explained, wondering how her grandmother would try to capitalize on her new friendship.

The severe woman looked her granddaughter up and down, seeking out every imperfection, then turned to the guard. "Please, allow us a few moments to prepare her. I would not dare to insult the king by sending my granddaughter underdressed."

Thalia resisted the urge to scrunch her face at the idea of being groomed for the second time today.

The guard nodded. "Understood, my lady."

Thalia's grandmother shut the door and grabbed her granddaughter painfully by the arm, issuing commands to the maids as she dragged the eight year old up the stairs.

"We need her to look impeccable at the royal palace. Who knows, maybe she'll catch the eye of some wealthy young man—"

"She's eight, Mother." Thalia's mother slumped against the rail at the top of the stairs, a bottle dangling precariously from her loose grip. "And I'm not about to let you do to her what you did to me. Besides, my husband dearest gets to decide her fate now, doesn't he? Since women are property in that god forsaken country."

"Ungrateful brat!" Uparmiya spat, "I made you a queen. You should be thankful that after that pathetic late husband of yours died, you were able to remarry at all."

Thalia flinched. Her mother and grandmother were about to get into another verbal sparring match, and this time Thalia was unable to flee, still in her grandmother's vice-like grip. She wished her family would get along for once. She'd never seen Drakon's family argue like this.

Her mother's beautiful mouth twisted downward into a scowl.

"His name was Farhad."

"He had nothing to give you. He did nothing but leech off the family fortune."

"He was a soldier who fought honorably for his country!"

The bottle dropped and crashed on the ground floor, punctuating Simay's words.

Thalia gazed curiously at her mother as Simay choked back a sob. She rarely mentioned the man who was Kayra's father, and Thalia, whose understanding of affection and love was shaped by stories, couldn't understand why her mother's voice would crack with emotion as she spoke about someone who had been dead nearly ten years.

Uparmiya sniffed. "Disgusting. If you weren't always drunk, your husband would treat you better."

"He drives me to drink and so do you," Simay shot back.

"I don't have time for your petty tantrums right now," Uparmiya huffed. "You've been nothing but a disappointment to this family… no, I can't say that. At least you gave me granddaughters. Perhaps they'll be able to succeed where you have failed. Kayra already has a good prospect, that Dragul boy Barbarossa. Thank heavens she didn't inherit your madness."

Simay let out a small huff of a laugh. "Madness, huh? If wanting to have some control over my own life is madness, I'll gladly accept the label." Her eyes darted to Thalia. "Leave that poor girl alone, though. You're never going to mold her to your expectations. Kayra is like you: intelligent, calculating, ambitious… but Thalia inherited my restless spirit. If you keep trying to restrain her, she'll only act out."

Uparmiya's grip tightened around her until she wanted to squirm."What would you know about her, you pitiful excuse for a mother! You can barely stand to look at her, and you want to tell me how to raise her? What have you done for her? Nothing!"

Simay's eyes locked with Thalia's for a long, euphoric moment. Her daughter's heart swelled with hope. Simay had defended her. She'd been the only one who understood how Thalia felt inside. That meant her mother had some affection for her, right? Thalia grabbed that morsel of hope and clinged to it stubbornly. She was loved. She was.

"Mother?" Thalia tried tentatively, thinking that somehow, this time her mother's response would be different from all the times she'd been rejected in the past.

Simay's eyes narrowed. "You really look so much like your father."

With that, Thalia's mother turned around and stumbled back to her room with halting, unsteady steps.

Thalia stared at the spot where her mother had just been forlornly. She ached for her mother's recognition, but Simay had rejected her for as long as she could remember. No one fully accepted her. Not her mother, not her sister, not her grandmother. Thalia just felt alone.

"Come now," her grandmother said darkly, tugging on her arm. "It won't reflect well on us if we keep the princess waiting."

Uparmiya finished dragging her into her room, where maids already had her most expensive dress and jewels laid out. They stuffed her into it and combed her hair into a perfect bun at the base of her neck, decorating her dark, plain hair with bright, elegant jewels. Thalia looked like what she'd always been told a princess should look like, but Thalia knew a princess who looked nothing like this.

"You," Uparmiya addressed the same retainer that had escorted Thalia to Drakon's yesterday. "Keep her out of trouble. Simay was right about one thing. She has a streak of that madness in her, willful with a head full of fantasies. She'll destroy the entire family's reputation if she gets the chance."

Thalia bit her tongue. Serendine was willful, and her family was respected. Why was Thalia any different? She wanted to experience Serendine's life— to hurry up and leave this prison of her mother's family home. Serendine had promised she could send all the adults away, and for the first time, Thalia could explore the part of herself that no one would accept.

Her face grew warm as she realized someone did accept her— someone with pink hair, who had offered her a safe place to be herself. She wasn't alone. She had Serendine.

The maid bowed, agreeing to keep Thalia out of trouble, and before long, Thalia was in a carriage on her way to Serendine's home— the Parthevian palace.

When the carriage stopped, Thalia looked out the window, gaping at the grandeur of Parthevia's royal palace. Turrets upon turrets climbed into the sky, and balconies sprawled across each floor of the building. In the center, a fascinating dome shaped like an onion seemed to preside over the palace like a grand king, announcing to all citizens that this was the residence of the royal family. It was so much bigger than the royal palace of Attica. Attica, being a city-state on a small island, had to use its space carefully, and something so sprawling and spacious would be considered wasteful.

A guard opened the door to her and offered to help her step down. She began to shrink away, but then she thought: what would Serendine do? Serendine wouldn't act strangely over touching a guy. Serendine wouldn't think twice about it. She placed her hand in his outstretched one and stepped down regally from the carriage, channeling Serendine's confidence.

"Thank you."

The retainer scrambled out after her. Thalia could feel the woman's hawkish eyes boring into the back of her head, waiting for her to make a mistake and embarrass the family. She ignored the woman pointedly. Soon, Thalia would be free of her. Serendine would send her away.

A crowd of guards parted to make way for the Parthevian princess, and Thalia was just as struck at this second meeting as she was the first.

"It's good to see you again, Thalia. I'm glad you could come on such short notice."

"G— good to s— see you," Thalia stuttered.

Serendine turned away, motioning for her to follow. "We will be spending some time to ourselves. No one is to follow, understood?"

The retainer spoke up, "Princess, I am under strict orders from my lady to keep an eye on Thalia so that she does not offend you."

Serendine turned back around, narrowing her eyes. "Does your lady outrank a princess?"

"No, it's just that our Thalia can be a bit—"

"Thalia is a princess as well. She is a guest to Parthevia and, as such, should be held to the highest esteem. Does your lady outrank a princess?" Serendine repeated. "Is that how things are run in your home?"

The maid cowered, bowing low. "Please, your highness. I did not mean to offend you. It is only, Thalia—"

"You should be referring to her by her title."

"Yes, thank you." she lowered her head further, wringing her hands. "Princess Thalia is young, and her temperament is such that she must be kept under strict supervision or she will embarrass my mistress's family. I implore you to allow me to perform my duty."

Serendine turned to Thalia, looking her up and down. "You're telling me that she has been so poorly raised, she cannot be left alone without bringing disaster to the whole family."

"That's not—"

"Quiet!"

The retainer dropped to her knees, kowtowing to the floor. "Please forgive my insolence!"

Thalia watched with awe as Serendine brought a fully grown woman to submission with a few choice words. She had done what Thalia could only dream of. Serendine was amazing, Thalia thought as the pink haired princess took her hand and guided her away from her suffocating maid, away from the crowd of soldiers, away from everything. She was alone with Serendine for the first time.

The room Serendine pulled her into was a room for weapons training. All kinds of sharp instruments hung from the wall, gleaming invitingly. Thalia was so in awe, she almost didn't notice the pressure release from her hand, or the way Serendine was fighting the urge to lash out at someone. She whipped around toward Thalia, her eyes fiery.

"You shouldn't let them treat you that way. You're a princess. Demand the respect they owe you or they'll turn against you."

Thalia stared blankly at her new friend. She wished she believed she could have had the same success as Serendine if she tried to stick up for herself. The fact was, whether it was in her mother's house or in her own palace, it was all the same. She was expected to be quiet and obey. Serendine could only say such things because of the freedom her father granted her. Without his support, Thalia couldn't imagine Serendine would be able to give her this advice so casually.

"Well, you're still young. You should figure it out soon enough." Serendine crossed over to the wall and picked up a sheathed child-size sword. "You wanted to learn?"

Thalia nodded, her mouth going dry. She was finally going to touch a sword. She approached cautiously, her hands out in front of her. This was it. She was going to become a hero like in the stories, and the first step was to touch the weapon before her. She laid her hands on it, closing her eyes and feeling the hard leather of the sheath, relishing the moment.

"This really means a lot to you, huh?"

She opened her eyes at the sound of Serendine's voice. She'd been so wrapped up in the sword, she hadn't realized how close she was to her fellow princess. Thalia stumbled backwards, disarmed to be greeted by such a warm and kind smile from this distance.

Serendine let out a small laugh. "Junior was right. You really are shy. It's okay, I don't bite."

Her words did nothing to dull the pounding of Thalia's small heart, but that precious bundle in Serendine's hands seemed to call out to her. She couldn't resist the allure of the sword or the faint smell of roses she was beginning to pick up on.

As she timidly approached once more, Serendine smiled encouragingly at her. "That's it. Go ahead and unsheathe it."

Thalia wrapped her small fingers around the saber's hilt tightly and slowly removed it from it's sheath. She held up the sword to inspect it, catching a glimpse of her own reflection in its blade. The girl looking back at her was absolutely radiant with joy, her face flushed, her lips parted into a wide grin. She looked back to Serendine, who was leaning against a training post with her arms crossed, nodding approvingly.

"Am I holding it right?" Thalia asked. She hoped she was. She hoped she had a natural talent and Serendine would be impressed.

Serendine moved to behind Thalia, putting a hand on her back as she fixed Thalia's grip. "Think of it as an extension of your arm."

Thalia listened, but that rose smell was so intoxicating, her limbs were beginning to feel weak. She wanted to learn about the sword, but the girl beside her was so distracting and pretty. She found herself imagining what it would be like to bury her lips in that perfect, pink hair, to hold hands and exchange pecks on the cheek. How was she supposed to learn to sword-fight like this?

But the longer it took for her to learn, the more excuses she would have to be close to Serendine. Thalia changed her mind about wanting to be a prodigy. This was fine too.

That night in bed, Thalia curled around her pillow, imagining it was Serendine, and pressed her lips against it. She was beginning to understand what she was feeling. It had hit her hard and fast, taking her by surprise, but she could no longer call this admiration.

Thalia was in love.

Thalia had returned to Attica many times at this point, said many goodbyes to the people of Parthevia, but she had never cried like she did this time. When was the next time she would see Serendine? Weeks from now? Months? What if it was never? Drakon didn't understand. He complained about her being a crybaby. Serendine hugged her and promised they would see each other again. That, and only that, was able to console the young princess. Thalia boarded the ship to Attica feeling like she'd left her whole world behind.

"Father?" Thalia asked the next time she saw Hypatos. "Can girls marry each other?"

She'd tried to think of any couples she knew consisting of two women, but she couldn't. It was strange to her. In the stories her maids told her, people fell in love and married, but it was always a man and a woman. Thalia loved Serendine, so she wanted to marry her, like in the stories.

King Hypatos leaned forward, gazing at her with a disapproving expression. "Why would you even ask about something so ridiculous?"

"I want to marry Princess Serendine. I love her," Thalia had told him, not realizing there was anything wrong with what she said.

He rose slowly. Thalia began to cower, recognizing his anger.

"To think my own daughter would have such unnatural feelings," he mumbled. "She'll bring a curse upon this entire nation. Guards!"

Thalia panicked as two guards ran up and seized her from behind. Her father had never had her apprehended like this before. She struggled fruitlessly.

"Do you understand your place?" King Hypatos asked coldly, walking toward her. He put his face in hers threateningly, furious eyes boring into hers. "You are a girl, a princess. You're going to marry a man of my choosing and bear his children. If you fail to uphold your duties, the whole country will suffer. You must always abide by the old ways, Thalia. Go to the temple and pray that Asena will cure you of your waywardness."

 _Is something… wrong with me?_ Thalia had asked herself as she was dragged to Asena's temple. Over the coming years she would learn that, yes, from the Attican point of view, something was very wrong with her. Flings between men were respected and even encouraged, but for women, who were naturally devious, carnal beings, to love another woman was to reject reason and righteousness, the things that separate human beings from animals. A woman needed a man to civilize her, keep her evil nature in check. A man needed a woman to carry on the family line and for no other reason. That was simply the way Thalia's world worked.

Thalia would never see this inherent evil her culture claimed possessed all women, but she lit incense and prayed to the goddess, begging for enlightenment and virtue. She prayed to become a daughter whom her parents could love, one who could accept her place in the world. She could give up her hopes to marry Serendine if only her father would never look at her with those angry eyes again.

For days, she knelt in front of that statue, pleading for forgiveness and asking for guidance. There had been moments she believed she heard a fragmented voice trying to speak to her, but that could have easily been hallucinations from hunger. She wasn't allowed any food, only water. The longer she prayed, the more she resented the goddess. She'd been devoted to Asena her whole life, and this was how she was repaid, with silence in her time of need? Surely if Asena existed, she would provide some kind of divine intervention for Thalia. By the time she was released, Thalia was like her mother, skeptical of anything she could not see.

Thalia hadn't been the same person since. She lost interest in swords and foreign things. That streak of madness in her, the one that had so worried her grandmother, had been effectively quashed. She became a model Attican citizen for four years, paying attention to her lessons and not questioning her place. The only boy she talked to was Drakon; she could never bring herself to give him up. The new, demure Thalia began to earn the respect of the maids who used to gossip about her unfitness.

She ignored her feelings on the next few visits to Parthevia, doing her best to bury them. The urges to kiss Serendine eventually away. The electricity dulled, and the trembling ceased. In time, she forgot she'd ever had feelings for her fellow princess. She still felt a strange possessiveness toward her, but she chalked it up to insecurity about their friendship.

For four years, Thalia fooled everyone, even herself.

But that streak of madness ran deep, and twelve year old Thalia had overheard a conversation that would lead her to descend back into yearning for self-determination. She had taken her fate into her own hands. She had run away.

Since then, she had made supportive friends, and as they worked to piece her back together, they began to uncover the girl buried underneath the rubble, the one who had loved swords and another girl, and who hadn't been ashamed of any of it.

* * *

Sixteen year old Thalia had experienced her first love, and the girl she'd held so much affection for had murdered her parents. She watched Serendine swing her sword again. The Parthevian princess was a traitor, a murderer, and a liar. She had been the source of so much pain in Thalia's life.

She had also given her a taste of freedom, and maybe Thalia owed her credit for that. Thalia no longer believed in gods. There were no maids or superstitious fathers to hold her back. For the first time in her life, Thalia could be herself, and there was no one that could stop her.

Thalia could learn how to fight. She could take back Attica using her own power. She could become a hero, but would her people accept her?

* * *

Didn't I tell you almost no one was safe? Didn't I? You have no one to blame but yourself for not seeing this coming. But no, seriously, I hope you guys enjoyed this little twist because I've been sitting on it for months trying to foreshadow it. But yeah, Thalia's bi, she just has been repressing a lot of things until now. When she was jealous in the royal tomb in Heliohapt, was she jealous over Serendine or Sinbad? I don't think Thalia even knows, because even with everything she believes Serendine has done, she's always had a soft spot for her. That's why, even when she arguably should want Serendine dead over Barbarossa, she never has because Seren was her first love. Even as she's begun to move on, she might never be able to completely escape it.

I hope I did a decent job foreshadowing without giving too much away. My hopes were that you guys would assume her childhood crush was Drakon, but no one ever said anything about it so I don't know if you picked up on that haha.

I wonder what you think of Thalia's sister?

Please review and be gentle with me if you're mad lol


	32. Search

I apologize this chapter is a week late! I had a lot of editing to do, and I ended up running behind. Anyway, please leave a review and enjoy~ Edit: I apologize for all the typos! I'm still catching them. If you see one, please let me know about it!

* * *

Thalia marched through the hallways of the Sindria Trading Company building, her quick, purposeful footsteps echoing off the stone walls. Her eyebrows had knitted themselves into a deep frown, weighed down by her oppressive mood. By now it was four in the evening, and since her revelation while watching Serendine this morning, Thalia had been roiling with unsettled, racing thoughts.

This whole time, she had been stuck, unable to forgive Serendine, but incapable of bringing herself to demand repayment of the blood debt she and her people were owed— because she had once loved Serendine. She was imprisoned by her own weakness toward the girl who had betrayed her. She had promised she would let some of her anger go, that she would move on, but if she forgave the woman who had deprived her country of its king and queen, how could she face her people? With no method of recourse and no possibility of forgiveness, she could only stew in her own suffocating resentment. She was powerless, wrapped around the finger of her parents' killer. It was pathetic.

She let out a bitter huff of a laugh. Thalia still didn't deserve Attica. She'd run away from her country because she hadn't wanted to marry a perfectly suitable candidate. She'd spent years humiliated as a slave because she hadn't been clever enough to escape on her own. She'd had her virtue stolen from her after fighting so hard to keep it intact. She couldn't even demand justice for her parent's wrongful death because she'd allowed a traitor to pierce her heart.

The fall of her country had been her fault, and she'd made mistake after mistake, endured humiliation after humiliation. To think someone as incompetent as Thalia could ever fix an entire country was laughable at best, but she had been born to carry this burden on her shoulders. It was her birth right, and the one responsibility she had to carry through to the end. This was her fate: to take back Attica or die trying. It was a daunting task, but as she paused outside of Sinbad's office, her thoughts slowed, the tension fleeing from her body.

As long as Sinbad was on her side, she could do this. He was her partner. He would be her redemption. Where she failed time and again, he had proven himself to be reliable. Her heart fluttered as she thought about all the times he'd taken control of a difficult situation and skillfully handled it: the dungeon, the tomb, the boat... He really was amazing. Thalia wanted to learn from him, to become as amazing as he was so that one day she wouldn't have to rely on him for everything. She wanted to learn to stand on her own two feet.

Taking a deep breath, she gingerly pushed Sinbad's office door open.

"Sin?"

"Hm?" he grunted, chewing on the end of his pen.

"Are you close to finishing your work for today?"

Judging by the precariously tall stack of papers next to him, the answer was no, but she tried asking anyway. After all, Sinbad was her best friend and most powerful ally. He was the hero she'd spent so much time daydreaming about becoming as a child. If there was anyone in the world she wanted to teach her how to fight, it was him.

He almost snorted. "I wish. What do you need?"

She approached his desk with several swift strides before making her request:

"Teach me how to fight."

He sighed, giving her a skeptical look. "I thought you didn't have time to invest years into learning how to fight."

He didn't think she was serious, and she couldn't blame him. She'd never displayed interest in self-defense or anything similar before. She'd been behaving like a proper princess, or at least, as much like one as she could manage, but now she realized she wasn't one. She would never be one because she had that streak of madness in her. Even when her family had successfully suppressed it, her longing for the forbidden was always there, coursing through her veins, waiting for the day she was willing to acknowledge it.

She returned Sinbad's gaze with a firm resoluteness. She was acknowledging it now. She needed to learn to fight. She needed a way to take back Attica and focus her energy.

"I decided I want to learn anyway."

"What changed your mind?" He asked, leaning toward her with one eyebrow raised.

Thalia instinctively put some distance between herself and the boy whose proximity consistently left her feeling muddled lately, choosing instead to sit safely on the solid wooden desk. Idly fingering the cold, impersonal surface, she closed her eyes, allowing the sensation to sink into her, to create a numbing barrier between her and Sinbad. Now wasn't the time to let herself get flustered. She was on a mission.

"Ja'far suggested I channel my anger into something constructive."

Sinbad nodded, humming thoughtfully. "You do seem serious. I would help you, but the company has a big deal going through right now. I'm sorry. I just don't have the time, but when things slow down, I'd be happy to—"

"It can't wait."

Thalia had waited her entire life. She was done being patient. She needed to start learning today. The little girl who loved swords, the country she needed to reclaim, and her own vendettas had waited long enough. She was starving to take back her power

He chuckled, sitting back in his chair. "It's good to see you so excited. Believe me, I'd take any excuse to ignore this paperwork if Ja'far wasn't already hounding me to catch up. Actually, if you wanted to stay and keep me company for a while..."

His hand wandered toward her wrist on the desk, but she pulled it away before he could trap her.

"Sin, I can't. I'm on a mission to find a teacher."

"Is your mission more important than my sanity?"

She smiled wryly. "I'll just be a distraction. The more you concentrate, the sooner you'll be done."

He narrowed his eyes. "Why do you sound like Ja'far?"

"Ja'far's a smart kid. I'll take that as a compliment." She winked down at him playfully, taking a sort of victorious pleasure in his betrayed scowl.

Deciding to leave him to his work, Thalia hopped back down to the floor, backing out of the room. Sinbad was busy, but she had other friends. Ja'far, Hinahoho, Rurumu, Mystras, Masrur, and Drakon all would make great teachers. Surely one of them would have the time and the will to train her. She just needed to keep asking until one of them said yes.

Her first target was Ja'far, the fatal assassin. He used rope darts to subdue his opponents from a distance. He wouldn't be able to teach her to use a sword, but the darts were lightweight, and with a bit of skill, even someone like her would be able to wield them effectively. As a bonus, she knew Ja'far was a strict yet patient teacher. He'd occasionally tutored her as she struggled with accounting early on.

As she entered his office, she hesitated. He looked almost as busy as Sinbad had, scribbling furiously with a feather quill in what appeared to be a leather-bound ledger.

She forced a smile and pulled herself together. It couldn't hurt to ask, and if he refused to teach her, she would simply ask someone else. Even so, she began to grow anxious about being rejected. Of her friends, Ja'far was the closest to her in strength. Even Mystras towered several inches above her, and, despite his playful appearance, he was almost as muscular as Sinbad. Ja'far's fighting style would likely be easier for someone like her to pick up than Mystras's or the others'.

She decided to give this attempt her all.

"Ja'far!" she shouted too enthusiastically.

The sandy haired boy slowly raised his head at the sound of his name. He already looked perturbed, his mouth pulled into a slight frown. Her overly cheerful greeting must have tipped him off to the fact that she wanted something from him.

"What is it, Thalia?"

"I need you to teach me how to fight," she pleaded, lowering herself to her knees at his side. It was, perhaps, slightly overdramatic, but she she was desperate. He was her best option.

He sighed, eyeing her warily, as though he didn't trust her newly found interest in self-defense was anything more than a fleeting fancy.

"I think it's great that you want to defend yourself," he told her, scratching his head. "I really do. It's just, we're so busy right now. Maybe some other time."

"But—"

He turned back to his book.

"I only need an hour."

He did not react.

"Thirty minutes?"

His eyes stayed fixed on the page.

"Five. Five minutes. That's all I need. Just show me how to throw one of those darts so I can practice."

He moved slightly, igniting hope in Thalia's heart. She had swayed him! He was going to teach her!

Her hopes were dashed when he turned the page of his book and remained stubbornly fixed on it.

Thalia growled frustratedly, straightening back up. Fine. She would ask someone else. So what if she would never match any of her other friends in strength? The mechanics would still be the same. They could still teach her to fight.

She sought out Hinahoho, the spear wielding Imuchakk warrior, next. As a father, his patience for her incompetence would be nearly unlimited. After all, how could he get mad at her for being terrible with a spear when his son couldn't even feed himself properly yet? She would look like a prodigy in comparison. She found her target in the employees' living quarters diligently watching his son run around on stubby legs.

Thalia smiled warmly, something warm and maternal stirring inside her as her eyes remained locked on Kikiriku. She had never worked with a child this young, but suddenly, she wanted to. She had seen this small person around the company, but she had never had the chance to interact with him.

Hinahoho noticed the way her attention lingered on the child and called out to him. "Kikiriku, look who's here!"

The boy followed the sound of his father's voice, then, noticing Thalia, broke into a wide grin. Thalia was immediately smitten. He waddled over to her, reaching out his hand, and Thalia responded in kind, squatting down and reaching out to him. His strong grip wrapped around her fingers, threatening to crush them.

"Ah! Careful, Kikiriku!" Hinahoho cried, moving in to sweep him away. Thalia laughed good-naturedly, waving the concerned father's worries away with her free hand.

"You've got a tight grip, huh?" she praised Kikiriku, resisting the urge to wince. "My name is Thalia. Can you say Thalia?"

"Dahdee-uh!" he shouted, throwing his hands in the air. Thalia mirrored his actions, cheering enthusiastically at his attempt to pronounce her name.

"You know," Hinahoho mused as he watched the two interact, "this is perfect timing. I needed someone to watch Kikiriku while I take care of a few things. Do you mind?"

Thalia stood up, clutching her skirt anxiously. "Actually, I came here to—"

"That's great!" Hinahoho was already leaving the room. "Thanks, Thalia!"

Thalia glanced down at the oversized toddler at her side and smiled warmly. "I guess I can entertain you for a few minutes, huh?"

But what did kids like to do? When Thalia was a child, she had spent most of her time studying, but that wasn't what kids really enjoyed, was it? A ball caught her eye from the corner of the room, and she remembered something she had played at Drakon's house. She strode over and swept up the toy before settling down at Kikiriku's side, facing the wall.

"This game is really simple," she explained, demonstrating by bouncing the ball off the floor, against the wall, and catching it as it came back to her.

She handed the ball to Kikiriku. "Do you want to try?"

He nodded enthusiastically, raising the ball over his head. When he threw the ball, it hit the ground, cracking the tile floor upon impact. It then ricocheted off the wall, leaving a crater that peeked through to the other side in its wake.

Thalia gaped at the mess in horror. How could someone so small cause so much destruction? Kikiriku laughed as Thalia crawled over to inspect the damage, gingerly fingering the place where the wall had once been smooth. On the other side, the women's bathing area was now exposed, and there were any number of perverts working here that would violate its sanctity if given the chance— her boss, for example.

"I'm back! Did you and Kikiriku get along?" Hinahoho's cheerful voice greeted her as he stepped back in the room. Thalia blanched as he eyed the destruction, but, contrary to her expectations, he brushed it off with a proud, fatherly grin. "He's a lively kid, isn't he?"

"Hina, I actually came to ask you a favor," Thalia hedged.

"Since you helped me out, I owe you one," Hinahoho agreed. "What is it you need?"

Thalia glanced at the Rampaging Unicorn Horn he always carried around. "Teach me how to use a spear."

He smiled kindly. "Sure! As soon as things settle down and I have some free-time—"

"I only need a little of your time, but it has to be today," she asserted.

He scratched the back of his head, drawing air in with a hiss. "That's going to be difficult."

"I'm sorry, Thalia, but my husband has his hands full with the children and this new deal," Rurumu said, entering the room. She stopped as her eyes rested on the wall behind Thalia, her lips pulling into a thin, restrained line.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure to fix it!" Thalia rushed to assure her of the damage. "But maybe you can teach me?"

"I'm busy too, dear," Rurumu informed her apologetically, scooping up Kikiriku into her capable arms. The couple wished her luck and exited the room, leaving her with the broken wall to repair.

She slowly turned around to assess the damage Kikiriku had caused again and winced. For the comfort of her fellow female employees, she would immediately need to repair it.

On her way to the storage closet, she pondered her next option. Mystras was a lance fighter, and he was closer to her size than Hinahoho. Not to mention, he had a tendency to slack off, which meant he would have some freetime for her.

After grabbing a tub of spackling paste and a tool, she returned to the room, where a red haired boy in a turban was inspecting the hole very carefully.

Thalia cleared her throat, and he immediately sprung to an upright position, his posture stiff with guilt. As he slowly turned to meet her eyes, his face revealed to be a guilty crimson. Thalia didn't even have to ask if he'd been looking. He obviously had. She narrowed her eyes.

"Mystras."

"I— it's not what it looks like," he stammered.

She hummed skeptically, shoving him aside to spread the spackling on the wall.

"I was just trying to figure out how to fix this hole! Some pervert could use it to invade the privacy of our valuable employees! That's all..."

"Pervert." She irritably slapped more of the goop into the hole with a loud splat.

He stomped. "I told you, I'm not!"

"Whatever," she sighed, deciding to let it go. He was less likely to help her if she antagonized him. "Mystras, you're good with lances, right?"

He didn't answer. Thalia looked back over her shoulder to find herself alone. He had run away, too embarrassed to face her.

"Damn it, Mystras," she muttered, smoothing out her repair job with the pointed tool. She stood back up, twisting the lid back onto the jar and returning her borrowed items to the storage closet.

Thalia wandered the halls of the company, slowly making her way outside. She had been rejected by all but two of her friends. At this rate, she might become desperate enough to ask Serendine. Thalia laughed bitterly at the idea, but her laugh was cut short as the other princess marched purposefully around the corner, carrying a stack of documents. Judar trailed behind her, asking how long it would be until she was finished. Serendine dismissed him with a vague answer.

Bitter fury flared back up in Thalia's heart at the sight of her enemy, but for the first time, she could sense the binds that restrained her from acting on her hatred— the decayed remnants of love.

When Serendine caught sight of Thalia, she froze.

"Why'd you stop?" Judar complained, ramming into her. He turned his eyes to Thalia and he broke out into an amused grin. "Oh, it's the Shitty Hag. Are you two going to get into a cat fight?"

Thalia and Serendine ignored him, the air between the two girls heavy with things unspoken. Thalia looked into Serendine's eyes, and suddenly nothing seemed black and white. There was only gray, like the churning water in the narrow strait that blurred the border between Attica and Parthevia. There was no hatred or malice in her lovely rosen eyes, only sadness. It was not the pity that she saw in Drakon's sorrowful glances. Serendine seemed to be in mourning as much for herself as she was for the things that had happened to Thalia.

Thalia's bitter heart began to waiver as she remembered the way she felt when Serendendine had first corrected the way she held a sword, and she cursed herself. Serendine had killed her parents. Even knowing that, a part of her now begged for any excuse to shed herself of her hatred and forgive Serendine, or, better, to believe there really was some kind of misunderstanding. In a moment of weakness, words of reparation began to tumble out of her mouth.

"Serendine, I—"

She caught herself. What did she want to say? That she was sorry for being angry that her parents had been murdered? It was as ludicrous as her wanting sword lessons from Serendine. It was the stupidest idea Thalia had ever conceived of. There was right and wrong in the world, and Serendine was clearly in the wrong. The fact that after all these years, after everything Serendine had done, the princess still held this kind of grip on her heart struck fear into Thalia.

She began to quake, whether with fear or anger she did not know. Serendine was dangerous. This feeling was dangerous. It made her weak, and she needed to be strong.

"It's okay if you hate me," Serendine said quietly, closing her eyes with a pained expression. "I've always considered you to be like a little sister. When everything happened, I already knew if you came back one day, you would never forgive me. That's fine. I've already resolved to accept it."

Judar scowled, tugging on Serendine's uniform. "You're not apologizing are you? That's so boring"

"I have nothing to apologize for," Serendine said quietly. "Everything I did was for you and my country, Thalia."

Thalia's breathing caught. She had allowed a murderer to trick her, to make her believe that there was some remorse in that cold heart. Thalia tore her attention away from Serendine's deceptively compassionate gaze. She was trying to seduce Thalia into forgiveness. How could one person be so despicable?

"You're going to try to tell me you killed my family for my sake?"

"You don't know the whole story," Serendine rushed to defend herself. She placed a hand on her heart in an attempt to convey earnesty, but Thalia backed away cautiously, crossing her arms defensively.

"Drakon already told me everything I need to know."

Serendine shook her head. "Not everything. He wasn't there. He was away at the military academy. He only knows what he's been told."

Thalia didn't listen. She began marching away, afraid whatever lie Serendine told might sway her. She ignored Judar's mocking goodbye and Serendine's attempt to call after her.

She wanted Serendine to suffer. She wanted to forgive Serendine. She didn't know what she wanted. She was weak. She was powerless against her own emotions. She needed to become strong, to have control over some facet of her life; she needed to be able to fight. She stormed outside, pursuing her quest to find a teacher with renewed energy. She still had Masrur and Drakon. One of them might be willing to help her.

She found Masrur first in the shipyard, carrying a large box by himself and smiled to herself. He wasn't her first choice, but he was a good choice nonetheless. He'd even defeated Sinbad in the colosseum. His fighting style depended heavily on the strength of his legs, and, as a dancer, Thalia's legs were also her most powerful asset. Perhaps, even if she lacked his superhuman strength, she could still learn from him. She nodded to herself in approval of her choice,

"Masrur!" she shouted, bounding up to him. "Can I help you with that? It looks heavy."

He shook his head.

"You're too weak. No."

Her cheerful smile slipped slightly. This response did not bode well for her next question.

She walked alongside him, hands clasped behind her back.

"You know, I was wondering..."

"Hm?"

"Will you teach me to fight?"

He stopped walking, dropping the crate. It cracked the concrete beneath his feet. The remnants of her smile vanished as she considered the amount of paperwork it would take for a repair of this sort.

"You're too weak." he repeated. "No."

That conversation went about as well as she'd expected it too, honestly.

After arranging for someone to come repair the concrete Masrur had broken, Thalia once again set her focus on finding a teacher. Drakon now fought using his claws and teeth, but Thalia recalled he had studied swordsmanship in their youth. Maybe he could be her teacher.

"Drakon," She approached him timidly. Even though they had reconciled the other night, she still worried he hadn't really forgiven her. Still, he was kind. Asking him was worth a try. "Can I ask you a favor?"

The noble dragon was in the middle of directing the reception of a shipment of goods. He gave a worker directions on where to set a barrel before he turned his large head to look at Thalia. "I hear you've been wanting to learn self-defense?"

Thalia nodded shyly, smiling to herself. He didn't seem to be angry with her.

"That's great," He applauded her. "Good luck with that."

Her smile dropped. She understood why he wouldn't want to help her.

"Drakon?"

"Yes?"

She tugged at her skirts anxiously. "You're not still mad about the other day, are you?"

He put his harge hand on her shoulder.

"Princess— I mean, Thalia. I can forgive you for your outburst. I've been called worse." He smiled wanly. "The truth is, I'm quite busy at the moment because of a large deal. Otherwise, I would help you."

Thalia released a sigh of relief. He wasn't angry. He was just busy.

"You know, I've been thinking a lot," she hedged, shifting her weight nervously from foot to foot, "about the past. About the three of us, and about what you said, that we started out similar, but were molded into different people. I don't think that's true."

"I'm not sure I understand," Drakon admitted, eying her quizzically.

"That little girl you met, the one who used to like to run around and dreamt of fighting with a sword, she's still in there. I lost touch with her for a long time, but I found her again this morning while I was watching Serendine train. I..." Thalia hesitated, wondering just how much to tell him. "I always wanted to be like Seren, but I tried to change myself to make my father and my country happy. I still have a duty to my people, but in this one thing, I'm going to break tradition. I'm going to learn to fight because that little girl deserves to be acknowledged, and I was hoping you could be the one to teach me."

He grinned, baring his sharp teeth. "I can't help you. Not today, but perhaps Sharrkan could teach you."

"Sharrkan? He's a child..."

"I've heard his swordsmanship is exceptional. I think you could learn a lot from him. Why don't you give it a try?"

Thalia nodded, mulling it over. It was unlikely Drakon would mislead her about Sharrkan's skills.

"Thank you, Drakon. I'll go look for him." She shifted back and forth awkwardly, waiting for a response.

He cleared his throat. "If you'll excuse me, I need to get back to work."

"Yes, of course." She gave a fragile smile as he turned around and resumed issuing orders. The fracture between them would take more than an apology and a talk to fully mend, but this moment had been a good start.

She pivoted on her heel to go find the one person she had never thought to consider. Sharrkan would be her teacher.


	33. Swordplay

Oof. I didn't think this chapter was going to be ready for you guys today even though I've had part of it written for months. I just got in there and started editing and it never felt finished. I edited it so much I lost focus lol. Thankfully, my wonderful beta reader Addicted-to-GazettE was able to get it back on track. If you enjoyed it, please leave a review!

Also, if you're sad because Thalia and Sinbad haven't flirted enough, I'm going to post a couple of out takes where they got out of hand on my tumblr (FluffyFluffemz) under the tag "courage." If you like it, let me know by leaving a review here or a like there (or both. Both is good) so I know if you're interested in more in the future.

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Thalia leaned against a marble wall, watching in awe as the young Heliohaptian prince performed a series of agile, skillful maneuvers in the reddish light of the setting sun. He darted from one side of the courtyard to the other, swinging his sword in smooth, controlled movements. Thalia had never seen anyone this fast— not Sinbad, not Ja'far, not Masrur. Maybe the Heliohaptians had superhuman traits like the finalis, but Thalia was confident that wasn't the case. Sharrkan was proof that even someone normal like Thalia could become exceptional with enough hard work.

When he paused to take a break, dropping to the ground and wiping his forehead, Thalia approached him, beaming.

"Sharr, that was amazing!"

He looked up and grinned sheepishly when he saw her, scratching his back.

"I'm really not that—"

Thalia dropped to her knees next to him, lowering herself to his eye-level. She eagerly questioned him, attempting to confirm her theory.

"Can everyone in Heliohapt move like that?" she asked excitedly. "Are you all just naturally special, like the imuchakk and finalis?"

His eyes widened at her strange line of inquiry. "Er… no, I just trained really hard. I didn't have much else to do at the palace, so I focused on my swordplay."

It was as she thought. Sharrkan was just a regular human being.

"Then, even someone like me could…" Thalia's voice quavered as her chest filled with hope. She could be a hero, perhaps even one that surpassed Sinbad. It was a lofty goal but…

Her eyes watered as, for the first time, her childhood vision seemed within reach.

Sharrkan watched her curiously. "What's the matter? You're not about to cry, are you?"

She shook her head emphatically. "No, I… I want to learn how to do that. Will you teach me?"

Sharrkan scrambled onto his knees and gripped them tightly, his young, sweet face becoming comically serious. "Yes!"

Her lips pulling into an involuntary grin, Thalia blinked. After all of today's rejections, she had expected a reluctant agreement at best, but Sharrkan had pleasantly surprised her. He was such a sincere child. She wondered if he'd been looking for any opportunity to make himself useful in his new home and jumped on the first one he was offered.

"First, we have to get you a sword," Sharrkan told her, lifting himself off the ground and offering his hand. Thalia gracefully accepted it, although he was short enough that his help made little difference in the amount of effort it took for her to stand back up. It was the thought that counted.

As they marched through the halls of the main building, Thalia realized she'd never visited the weapons sales room. She'd never needed to, not when she had refused to acknowledge her curiosity about swords. Why would a proper princess have any need to shop for weapons?

When they reached the room, Sharrkan strode in without a second thought but Thalia paused outside the threshold, a feeling of guilt holding her back. She still felt like she wasn't allowed inside, like if she tried to enter, someone would shoo her away.

"Come on, Thalia," Sharrkan encouraged her. "I can't pick one out for you. You need to choose it yourself."

"Eh?" a gruff female voice grunted from inside. "Thalia Alexandris, the chick that works with the kids?"

Thalia timidly stepped in and looked over to the counter, where a burly, battleworn woman leaned on her elbows, eyes glittering with amusement.

"Well, I'll be. It really is you. Never pegged you as the fighting type," she mused. "Here shopping for your boyfriend then?"

"Excuse me..." She nervously ground the ball of her foot into the floor, clasping her hands behind her back. "Are we acquainted?"

The woman burst out into hearty laughter. Wiping a tear from her eye, she answered, "No. My name's Mak. You wouldn't have heard of me, but everyone in the company knows about you. You're the subject of gossip more often than not. I get sick of hearing your name, honestly."

"Oh," she said simply. She'd known on some level that was the case. Sinbad's decision to promote her to a manager hadn't been a popular one. She'd found out later that two people had quit over it. "I don't have a boyfriend. I'm actually shopping for myself."

She turned her attention to the rest of the room, her mouth falling open as she studied the multitude of gleaming weapons lining the walls. She hadn't realized that there were so many different kinds of swords— thin ones, thick ones, long ones, short ones, straight ones, curved ones.

"So the rumors about you and the boss having some kind of secret love affair, those are all bollocks?" Mak asked.

"Complete and utter garbage," Thalia confirmed, attempting to pick up one with a broad, flat double-edged blade, like the one the guards had used in Attica— a xiphos. This was the kind of sword she'd always dreamed of wielding as a child. It was what the heroes of Attican myths had used to build their great civilization.

She barely raised the hilt off the table before her arm began to burn plaintively, unable to handle its weight. Dropping it, she stretched her aching fingers. The memory of Serendine's sword came to mind, slightly weighty but still light enough a child could handle it. Didn't the company carry something like that?

"These swords are for warriors," Mak reminded her. "We don't have much that would suit a little waif like you."

"You're going to want to try something else," Sharrkan advised from behind her. Thalia turned her attention to him, shifting to face him. "That sword is going to be to heavy for someone like you. You'd actually be better off with a two-handed sword. They're bigger, but you use both hands, and that makes up for the extra weight." He walked over to a wall lined with curved swords. "I think your best option is a scimitar of some sort. Its curve makes it a lighter weight and also makes it good for slicing from up close. The one you were just holding is better for jabbing from a distance."

"Distance?" she asked, fingering the sword's hilt again. "I like distance. I'm less likely to be stabbed."

Mak chortled again, banging on the counter. "I didn't come in to work today expecting a comedy show!"

"Not necessarily." Sharrkan corrected Thalia "You're a little short, so you're not going to have the advantage when it comes to reach anyway."

A sword with a long, narrow blade caught her eye. She walked over it and picked it up, finding it to be much more manageable than the last one. "What's this?"

"That looks like what I've read is called a changdao. It's a kind of sword from Kou." He smiled kindly. "It really suits you, but I'm not familiar with techniques for straight swords. If you want to use that one, you better get someone else to teach you."

She quickly set the sword back down. She couldn't ask someone else to teach her. Everyone else had refused. Sharrkan was her only option.

"What do you suggest, then?" She asked, joining him by the wall of crooked swords.

He brought his thumb and forefinger to his chin and frowned thoughtfully.

"A shamshir would be best because that's what I specialize in. I could teach you more in depth."

"Which one is a shamshir?" she asked, eying the dozens of swords hanging along the wall.

He pointed to one with a blade that curved severely approaching the tip.

Thalia took it off the wall apprehensively. To her relief, its weight was much more manageable than that of the xiphos. Still, she'd never seen anyone fight with a sword like this. It seemed so alien. Could she really use something like this?

She removed it from its sheath and tried swinging it. To her surprise, she was able to control the sword's arc beautifully.

"You like it?" Sharrkan asked, observing the smile her success had brought to her face.

"What do you know," Mak teased. "She's stronger than she looks. Should I ring you up?"

Thalia shook her head, sheathing her sword and holding it proudly. "I'm going to take it to Ja'far to see if he'll give me a discount to the market price."

"Eh?" Mak eyed Thalia jealously. "It must be nice being cozy with the bigwigs."

"It does have its perks," Thalia confessed.

"While you're paying, I'm going to go outside," Sharrkan dismissed her, leaving the room.

Thalia was about to follow, but Mak stopped her.

"Thalia, a lot of people talk about you, and most of it isn't flattering," Mak advised her. "You seem like an okay girl. Gossip like that… people only get a fraction of the story and they jump to conclusions. Everyone does it. I'll be honest, when you came in here, I thought you were some prissy, stuck up snob who didn't know a thing about swords. I wasn't totally wrong. You're clueless, for the most part, but your grip on the sword, and the way you swung it? You're not a total novice, are you?"

Thalia tried to pull her lips into a smile and failed. "Once, when I was younger, I had a teacher for about a week. I guess she was pretty good if I still remember."

Mak pulled out a rag and started dusting the counter. "I'd say so."

Thalia marched happily through the halls, holding her new prized possession with pride. Sharrkan was already proving to be a patient and competent instructor in the way he'd guided her in the sword selection process. She had no doubt that in a few years, she would be able to rival the dungeon conqueror himself. She stopped outside Ja'far's open door and popped her head in.

"How much for this?" she asked, waving the sheathed sword around in the air.

Ja'far didn't look up from his pile of paperwork as he addressed her. "Honestly, if it's not a block of gold, just take it. I don't have time to deal with this right now."

Thalia blinked in disbelief. She hadn't expected him to be so generous.

"Are you sure?" she asked cautiously, eying him warily. This was not the business-savvy and by-the-book Ja'far she was familiar with.

"If I stopped to deal with a minor transaction, we would lose more money than anything we made from selling you whatever you picked out," Ja'far explained absentmindedly, scribbling in the book. "The company can absorb the loss. Just remind me to mark whatever it is off the inventory later."

"This deal…" Thalia prodded hesitantly. "What kind of deal is it?"

Ja'far shrugged. "Some rich guy from Reim is buying enough supplies for an entire army. Something Alexius. I can't remember his first name, but I think it started with an M."

Thalia tensed, tremors rippling down her spine. She knew an Alexius whose first name started with an M.

"Was it Marcus?" she asked quietly, her apprehension barely concealed behind her level tone.

She took a deep breath and steadied her breathing, trying to calculate the chances of him making such a disruptive order from the company she worked at. Was he trying to send her a message? He'd promised he would make her his. Now he couldn't, not legally, but Thalia was still afraid he would come after her. He'd already proven he was willing to do whatever he wanted with her regardless of her wishes.

And the contents of this order… Thalia had seen Rurumu writing letters to all their providers trying to procure the vast amount of swords, swords, chest plates, and travel supplies Marcus had ordered. Was he building up an army? She shook her head. It didn't matter what the hell he was doing. They'd be shipping all the supplies to Reim anyway. She was safe here. Marcus wouldn't find her, and even if he did, she would slit his throat before she let him touch her again. She hugged her new sword to her chest protectively, calming her trembling.

"I suppose it could have been a Marcus," Ja'far mused, oblivious to his friend's turmoil.

"Oh," Thalia responded deceptively brightly, slipping into her old habit of hiding behind a cheerful mask. It was for the best Ja'far didn't know how she felt anyway. He was too busy to concern himself with her. "Well, thank you for the sword. I'll see you around."

"No problem," Ja'far assured her distractedly.

Thalia left the room brooding as she returned to Sharrkan. It had been months now since she had even heard about Marcus, and he likely wasn't searching for her. Now that she was in Balbadd, her chances of running into him were even lower, but his name still struck fear into her. Thalia gripped her new sword tightly. She didn't need to be afraid anymore. Next time they met, he would be the one who needed to be afraid.

After a week of learning absolute basics— how to breathe, how to position her legs, how to swing, Sharrkan suggested they start to learn actual fighting techniques.

"As I said before, shamshirs are a close-range weapon," Sharrkan explained. "You can jab from a distance, but the curved tip makes it hard to be precise. For that reason, you're going to have to get close and slice."

Thalia nodded, holding her sword the way she had been instructed.

"For now, I recommend you try to keep your distance, then, when you spot an opening, swoop in, strike, and pull back out. Avoid getting hit at all costs."

Without warning, he swung his sheathed sword at her. She jumped back just in time, startled.

"Good. Keep that up," he ordered, coming at her with more blows. She was fast, but this child moved with inhuman speed. She wondered for a fraction of a moment if there was any point trying to learn to fight. If a child could overpower her so easily, she feared to know what an adult like Marcus could do. Maybe it was hopeless. Maybe Marcus was an obstacle she would never be able to overcome.

Another swift attack came at her, and she deftly dodged, feet agile from years of dancing. Emboldened by her continuing success, she decided she would not quit. Acquiring the strength to protect herself would be hard, but hadn't she known it would be? When had anything ever come easy to her? Thalia wasn't like Sinbad. She wasn't one of those people whom success embraced. She had always had to wrestle it into submission, and swordplay would be no different.

She bounded sideways, avoiding another swing. She would devote all of her energy into learning this skill. She would learn how to protect herself and the people she loved. She would reap her vengeance on Barbrossa, Lady Maader, and Marcus. No one would be able to humiliate her again because she would become powerful.

"Ah!" Her foot twisted underneath her weight and she toppled backward, the cold, hard ground knocking the breath out of her. Power would come in the future. For now, she needed to focus on staying on her feet.

"You're dead," her partner told her, the handle of his sword pointed at her throat.

"Can't you slow down a little?" she asked, propping herself up on her elbows.

He shook his head. "Not yet. Don't worry, when we start to work in actual attacks, I'll go easy on you at first. You want to defend yourself, right? The first step is not to die." He lowered his sword and reached out a hand to help her up.

"Well, that's a fairly straight-forward philosophy," she agreed, accepting his help and brushing off her skirts.

"The technique I'm using right now is Heliohapt's royal swordplay, the crawling sword," he informed her, crouching low, ready to strike again. "Speed is the most important skill."

Thalia nearly dropped her sword.

"Is that what you're teaching me? Royal swordplay?" She narrowed her eyes at him admonishingly. "Sharrkan, you can't. That's supposed to stay within the royal family!"

Sharrkan lowered his weapon, his eyes darkening. "I've been wondering how I can make it up to you about the lamp, and I think this is it. I'm going to teach you the most effective swordsmanship I know," He raised his shamshir again. "and I won't hold anything back!"

The sword came at her in a downward arch, nearly grazing Thalia's arm as she jumped out of the way. She flailed backwards as it redirected and swung back toward her from the side. He continued to bombard her from every direction, moving too quickly for her to keep track. She managed to block an attack with her own sword, but the blow nearly knocked it out of her hand. Soon, her arm holding the heavy sword began to burn. She could barely lift it. Thalia stumbled backwards, avoiding yet another swing.

Sharrkan stopped, seeing her panting and dripping with sweat, sword arm hanging limply by her side.

"I think that's good for today," Sharrkan dismissed her. "Nice effort."

"Wait!" she called after him as he started to walk away. "I can keep going. I'm not tired."

He turned back to her and raised an eyebrow.

"Please," she begged. She was impatient. She wanted revenge. She wanted to be a hero. She wanted so many things she could only gain through obtaining power. If she had to sweat blood, she would do it. She would do anything to not feel so helpless.

"Why don't you practice your swings, then?" he suggested reluctantly. He paused for a moment, as though considering whether or not he should say what I wanted to say next. Shifting uncomfortably, he finally opened his mouth to finish his thought, his youthful, green eyes glimmering with concern. "Don't push yourself too hard, Thalia. You'll burn yourself out."

Thalia nodded, finding his suggestion a sound compromise. She practiced her swings by herself, forcing her sore arm to obey her through sheer will power. Painful blisters formed and popped. She winced as she rinsed them with soap and water. Maybe she had pushed herself too hard. Maybe she should slow down.

"You're learning how to use a sword?"

Thalia jumped, turning around to find Judar had appeared. He eyed her with a hungry expression not fit for a child his age, as though he were planning to catch her in some kind of snare… but he was too young to do anything so deliberate, right?

She smiled kindly at him, squatting down to his eye-level. He was just a kid, and there weren't any adults who could be manipulating him at the company. He'd come back to Balbadd with them by himself. Her gut had to be wrong about him. He was a troubled child, but he just needed affection, like all kids.

"Hey, Judar," she chirped happily. "Did you want to go get some peaches? It's been a while."

Puffing up with joy, he grinned. "I knew I liked you for a reason."

As they wandered the streets looking for a fruit vendor open this late, Judar continued to talk.

"It's power you're after, isn't it? That's why you decided to learn how to fight. You want revenge for what Serendine's country did to yours."

"How did you…?"

Judar shouldn't have known that. He hadn't been around during her confrontation with Serendine, so who had told him?

He smirked. "I've been asking around to find out what's up with you two."

Was Thalia's situation a subject of gossip among her coworkers? Did everyone know about her grudge against Serendine? She scowled, unhappy with the idea that people had been spreading information behind her back.

"That face…" Judar muttered, studying her intently.

Thalia realized she was making the expression that Ja'far had pointed out so many times and schooled her face into a placid mask.

"You don't have to hide it," Judar assured her, his eyes gleaming excitedly. "It's interesting. You're interesting. You have so much inner turmoil."

Thalia shifted uncomfortably at his astute evaluation and even more so at his apparent delight in her pain. Why was this kid so good at picking up on the worst parts of her?

He floated languidly beside her as she continued down the street, stirring the air with his wand. "If it's power you're after, I can give it to you. I can make you a king vessel."

Thalia froze in her tracks. "You'll help me get a metal vessel?"

With a metal vessel, she would be powerful. Becoming good with a sword would take years, but capturing a dungeon would instantly make her a force to be reckoned with, and she would obtain the funds to hire an army. But, Sinbad had said she would need to earn the djinn's respect, and to do that she would need to already by strong.

"Would a djinn even acknowledge me?" she asked hesitantly.

He shrugged. "Of course. You'll need to polish that sword skill a little more— I can't do all the work— but in a couple of months, you should be able to hold your own enough that I can keep you alive all the way to the treasure chamber. With a magi on your side, the djinn will acknowledge you. I've never had a king vessel rejected."

"Is that a promise?" she prodded, clutching her skirt anxiously. She needed some kind of guarantee before she allowed herself to get her hopes up.

He grinned wickedly. "It is on one condition."

"Name it."

She would do anything to not feel so helpless, even sell her soul if it meant gaining the power she needed.

"I have some friends I'd really like you to meet," he hummed. "When the time comes, I want you to come with me to visit them for a while."

Thalia let out a surprised laugh. "Is that all? Sure, I'll come meet your friends, little Judar. Where do they live?"

"Who are ya callin' little?" he snapped. "They live pretty far away, but don't worry about it just yet. It won't be time for a while."

Thalia scanned the street one more time and spotted a fruit seller packing up. She bounded over to him to get his attention.

"Excuse me, Sir! Would you mind selling us a few peaches?"

He glared at her, clearly perturbed she hadn't respected the fact that his stall was closed for the night.

"Two silver coins," he grunted through a thick mustache.

Thalia begrudgingly paid the exorbitant price and gave the fruits to Judar.

"Remember, you made a promise." the magi reminded her, crunching into one of the peaches. The juices spattered in every direction, dribbling down his chin. She smiled warmly. Despite being a magi, he really was just a kid.

"I'll keep it in mind," she assured him, bending down and wiping the juice off his face with her sleeve.

His wild eyes widened in shock as he pulled back, pushing her hand away. "What the hell? Who said you could touch me?"

"It's fine, isn't it?" Thalia asked playfully. "After all, you're like my little brother, right?"

"Damn delusional hag," he grumbled, wiping her germs off his chin. "Like I'd be siblings with someone like you. If I had a sister, she'd be a lot cooler…"

Even as he said that, the tiniest of smiles graced his lips. Thalia had been right. All he needed was a little affection.

When she said goodbye to Judar, all thoughts of slowing down were gone. So what if her hand hurt? She would be capturing a dungeon in a matter of months. She needed to improve as quickly as possible. She decided she would wrap it in gauze until the blisters healed and turned to calluses.

She needed to obtain a metal vessel. After that, everything would fall into place. For the first time, it seemed like there was a light at the end of the tunnel, however fuzzy. After years of struggling by herself, someone had finally offered a solution. She felt amazing, almost drunk with joy. She half walked, half skipped to the one person she wanted to share her joy with, ignoring the judgemental stares of her fellow employees.

Screw them. They only wish they had something to be this happy about.

Thalia opened the heavy wooden door to Sinbad's office without knocking. She knew her best friend would be working late trying to fill Marcus's monstrous order. Hell, not even Marcus's looming presence could shake her pleasant mood. After all, he was a continent away. She was safe here with Sinbad.

She leaned against his desk, admiring the way his handsome features were sharpened by the light of the lamp on his desk. How was it that he got better looking every day? Someone should stop him, she thought. After all, he already had a string of heartbroken girls behind him. It was no secret half of Sindria Trading Company's female employees had joined in hopes of catching his attention. If he became any more charming, someone might seriously get hurt.

She shuffled over to his side, tutting.

"You should really start wearing a bag over your head," she suggested as she dropped to her knees and rested her chin on the unoccupied arm of his chair, "for the safety of your employees."

"Yeah..." he agreed absentmindedly, still focused on whatever her was working on. His hand drifted to the top of her head, ruffling her hair. Thalia relished his touch even more than usual, leaning into it like a cat. A few moments later, her presence finally registered with him. "Oh, Thalia!" he greeted her with a cheerful grin. "Good timing. I just received this communication from the customer. Instead of having us ship the goods out, he wants to pick it up in person."

Thalia came crashing down from her high. Marcus was coming to Balbadd. What if he really had found her? What if he wanted to hurt her again? She swallowed, her tongue dry in her mouth. Fear carved its way through her veins like a great river, cold and overpowering.

"Since everyone's been working so hard to get everything together, they're going to be exhausted and I suspect a lot of people won't show up that day," he continued, not yet picking up on the subtle shift in his friend's demeanor. "I know you don't really do a lot of physical work, but I was wondering if you could help us out. If you do me this favor, I'll keep it in mind when bonus season comes. What do you say?" He smiled warmly before Thalia's trembling caught his attention. "Hey, are you alright?"

She quickly came up with an excuse.

"I… um… I think it's food poisoning," she covered. Her stomach did feel like it was about to empty itself in his lap, but it wasn't caused by a bad dinner. "I should be fine in the morning."

He started to stand up. "Do you need medicine? I'll go get some…"

"No, no, no, that's not necessary!" she assured him, catching him by the arm and tugging him back down. "You're working so hard. I couldn't ask you to go out of your way for me. Besides, I..." she gripped her stomach with one hand and covered her mouth with the other to give impression she was about to get sick. Using her fragile stomach as a pretense to escape, she dashed out of the office, locking herself in the nearest bathroom and collapsing to the cold tile floor.

She had promised Sinbad she wouldn't lie anymore, but what else could she do, tell him to cancel the deal? He and everyone else had already put so much effort into procuring the items, and at least half of the payment had already been made, as was standard for orders this big. Even if he wanted to refuse to do business with Marcus at this point, there was no going back. She chewed her lip anxiously, hugging her arms around her protectively.

So this was it? She was just going to accept that she had to be in the same city as the man who'd hurt her again? There was nothing she could do? She closed her eyes and wrapped her fingers around the hilt of the sword at her side. If that was the case, she could at least distract herself. She knew on some level she was already pushing herself to her limit, but she could feel the turmoil, fear, and anger churning dangerously inside her. Wasn't that why she'd taken up a new hobby? To channel all that into something constructive?

Trembling, she rose and and let herself out of the bathroom, making her way back to the courtyard. She quietly thanked the moon for its light because soon, the last of the lamps would extinguished as everyone went to bed. Thalia would not be joining them. She positioned herself in the center of the courtyard, drawing her sword, tightening her grip around its hilt even as her blisters stung through the gauze. What was a little pain? Lady Maader had put her through much worse. Taking a deep breath, Thalia raised her sword and swung.


	34. M Alexius

"One… Two… Three…" Thalia was in the warehouse with two of her employees, counting out chest plates. She was double checking they had collected the correct quantity before packing them in a box to be picked up by the customer tomorrow. "Twenty-eight…"

A wave of dizziness hit her, nearly causing her two swoon. The interruption broke her already feeble concentration, leaving her unsure where she had left off.

Thalia inhaled deeply, massaging her forehead. She could do this. She just needed to push a little further.

"Twenty…" What number had she been on? Twenty seven?

"Twenty-nine," Cassius, reminded her.

"Right." She returned her hand to her clipboard. "Twenty-nine… Thirty… Thirty-one… Thirty-three…"

"Thirty-two," the other child, Dulcia, corrected her.

"Ah. Yes. Thank you." she replied sheepishly. It was embarrassing she was struggling so hard to count, but lately she'd been having trouble focusing. The fact that Marcus was probably in the city at this point only made it worse. She shoved that thought back forcefully. She needed to finish this as quickly as possible so Cassius and Dulcia would go play with their friends. They technically weren't supposed to be here; their shifts had ended an hour ago, but they had insisted on helping her, and, quite honestly, she needed them. "Thirty-two… Thirty…" She paused. Which ones had she already counted again? She reluctantly started over. "One…"

The two children groaned, flopping onto their backs.

"It's fifty, Thalia. I promise," Cassius assured her.

"I got the same number," Dulcia agreed, hopping up to her feet. "Let's just pack them up so you can go rest, okay?"

"Yeah," Cassius said, backing Dulcia up. "Don't practice your sword today. Just go straight to bed."

Thalia smiled at them kindly. Of course, she had no intentions to follow their advice. She planned to throw herself into her swordsmanship completely again all night tonight. If she didn't, she would drive herself into hysterics thinking about the dangerous predator that was lurking the streets of Balbadd City, waiting to hurt her again. Practicing with her shamshir was the only thing that calmed her racing heart.

"You're both so thoughtful," she praised them. "Come on, let's pack these up." She set down her clipboard and began placing the chest plates in the crates labeled "Order Number 00093220": The order that had been placed by an M. Alexius. Working on this fulfillment had been torture. After her veil of ignorance about the identity of the customer had been lifted, she'd spent the last two weeks constantly on the verge of tears, fighting back memories of what happened, but these were the last boxes. It was almost over. After the crates were picked up tomorrow, Marcus would probably return home and Thalia could feel safe again.

When the last box was sealed, the two children cheered, each grabbing onto one of Thalia's hands and jumping up and down.

"I mean it about the sword," Cassius reminded her as they exited the building. "Take tonight off or we'll tell Ja'far."

Thalia mustered enough energy to tut at him playfully. "No one likes a tattle tale—" She paused, her heart skipping a beat. A tall boy her age with long red hair caught sight of her and started to approach. His golden armor and the white cloth draped over his shoulder announced to the world his place of origin: Reim. She winced, shielding her eyes as the sun reflected off his brightly shining chest piece.

"Maybe you can help me?" he asked, bounding up to them with a friendly smile. His eyes were distinctive, a thick line like eyeliner accenting the lashes. He was Fanalis. "I'm looking for someone, and I was told she would be here."

"Who is it?" Dulcia offered brightly.

Thalia quickly stepped in before he could answer. "Cassius, Dulcia, go ahead and play. I'll help this gentleman."

The two children skipped away agreeably, leaving her alone with the stranger. Thalia didn't want to be alone with him, but she needed complete control of the situation. This boy probably worked for Marcus, though she'd never seen him before. Maybe he was new. In any case, if he really was looking for her, she needed to throw him off her scent. The children would have given her away in an instant. Ignoring her pounding heart, she slid into an accommodating persona, clasping her sweaty hands together in front of her and forcing a serene smile.

"May I ask who it is you're looking for? Perhaps I can help you."

His friendly smile widened. "I'm looking for a Thalia Alexandris… or maybe she still goes by Echo. Do you know anyone by either of those names?"

Thalia blinked several times, her facade nearly faltering as he confirmed her worst fears. Her back stiffened, but she allowed herself to give no other sign of her distress.

"Oh… I'm sorry," she told him, feigning sympathy. "I'm afraid she recently took a new job all the way in Kou." Kou was a six month journey away, and it was huge. If Marcus started looking for her in a place that big, he would never be able to confirm she wasn't truly there. She gave the servant boy a pitying look. "She left yesterday, but it was a quiet departure, so not many people know about it. Whoever told you she was still here probably didn't know. I hope you didn't come all the way from Reim just to find her."

He sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Well, not _just_ to find her, but that was a big part of it. Kou? Seriously?"

Thalia nodded slowly, relieved he was buying her lie.

"Did she tell you anything else, like where in Kou she was going?"

Thalia shook her head forlornly. "She was very private about her life and didn't have many friends. I only worked in the same division as her."

The boy perked up. "But you did know her. That's great!" He grabbed her arm and began to pull her along excitedly. "Tell me everything you can about her over dinner. It's my treat."

At first, Thalia was too stunned to react. He'd just taken hold of her like it was no big deal, but this boy worked for Marcus, the man who had violated her. He had no right to touch her. She tugged her arm away, clasping it protectively with her other hand.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she demanded.

He looked back at his empty hand, then to her, confusion clouding over his face. "I just wanted to talk to you about Thalia. Are you alright?"

"You can't just touch people without permission," she growled. He'd gotten that habit from his master, no doubt. "And I never agreed to go anywhere with you."

He folded his hands apologetically. "I'm sorry. I guess I got carried away." He sighed. "I've been finding out everything I can about this Thalia girl for over two weeks, and no one really knows much about her. I guess I was hoping someone could finally shed some light on her." He shook his head, his eyes sorrowfully glued to the ground. "The more I learn about her, the more sorry I feel. She's had such a tragic life, and it seems like she didn't have many friends to share her burdens with outside this company."

He felt… sorry for her? This man was essentially here to kidnap her, right? Why did he seem so nice? Despite all reason, she found herself liking this servant boy. Maybe his master was terrible, but this boy seemed to have a good heart. She couldn't allow him to find out her identity, but this time, when she smiled at him, it wasn't quite so forced.

"I implore you not to ask around about Thalia. Those who would have the answers to your questions are still devastated by her departure. I hope you can understand."

"So she did have good friends here?" he asked thoughtfully. "That's a relief. Come to think of it, when I was researching her, people kept repeating this rumor that she and the president of the company were romantically involved. Do you know anything about that?"

Thalia coughed uncomfortably. Why wouldn't that damn rumor ever die? "That's not true. At all. Not even a little."

He arched an eyebrow. "You sound pretty confident. I thought you two weren't that close?"

Thalia stumbled over her words, trying to come up with a satisfactory excuse to keep him from catching her in a lie.

"That's because… I um…"

The boy shook his head. "It's okay. I don't believe it either."

Thalia perked up. No one ever believed that there was nothing between her and Sinbad.

"Really?"

"Yeah," he told her. "She and I are destined for each other, so of course she wouldn't fall for someone else."

Thalia was too stunned to speak. First of all, he was wrong. He was so completely wrong. She _had_ fallen for someone else, and that had exploded in her face. Second of all, what did he mean destined for each other? Like soulmates? What kind of kidnapping plot was this? That guy was a Fanalis. He could easily have taken her by force in the dead of night. He didn't have to come up with some elaborate ruse. Did he even work for Marcus? Just what the hell was happening?

He turned around to leave, sending her a casual wave goodbye. "I'll be back to pick up an order I placed tomorrow. Will I see you then?"

Was he the one who'd placed that huge order? Had Thalia jumped to conclusions? Had she tortured herself all this time over nothing?

"N-name," she sputtered. "What's your name?"

"Oh, forgive me. I never properly introduced myself, did I?" He turned back to face her, placing a hand formally over her chest. "My name is Muu Alexius."

Muu… Alexius…

M. Alexius…

Muu…

M.

 _Shit._

Ja'far had said the name had started with an M. He'd never said it was Marcus. He'd only said that it was a possibility. Thalia was the one who'd assumed the worst.

She'd never heard of Muu Alexius, but he definitely wasn't Marcus. Thalia was an idiot. She'd lost weeks of sleep over the wrong person. Overcome with relief, she didn't know whether she wanted to laugh or cry.

He cocked his head to the side. "And you are…?"

She couldn't tell him who she really was now. Besides, he was delusional, thinking he was her soulmate. Maybe he was some kind of stalker. He seemed nice, but, deep down, he could have been an axe murderer.

"Parsine," she told him quickly, using the first name that came to mind. The image of the real Parsine finding out she had stolen her name flashed into Thalia's mind, chilling her to the core. Thalia may have dodged one arrow only to find herself in the path of another. If that scary woman found out about this, Thalia might actually die.

He held out his hand to her. "Alright, Parsine. It's nice to meet you. See you tomorrow?"

"Y-yeah…" she answered absentmindedly, still focused on the weirdness of the entire conversation. She held out her hand limply, letting him shake it within his firm grasp.

Now that she was sure Marcus wasn't after her, she wandered back in the direction of her room to get an early rest, the last few moments replaying in her head.

 _He'd said "see you tomorrow," and she'd said "yes."_

 _He'd said "see you tomorrow," and she'd said "yes."_

 _He'd said "see you tomorrow," and she'd said…_

"Yes."

Thalia bit back a frustrated scream. Tomorrow, her friends would all be there, and they would call her Thalia. Then this Muu guy would know she was a liar.

And then what? What was she so worried about? Even if Muu had bad intentions, he couldn't hurt her, not with Sinbad nearby. Was she afraid Muu would dislike her for deceiving him? Was she really that invested in his opinion of her?

He held up the hand he had shaken and studied it carefully. If he was her soulmate, Thalia would have expected to feel some kind of spark, electricity even, the way she'd felt when Serendine had first touched her. All she'd felt when Muu had touched her was warmth. It wasn't nothing, but it seemed like he wasn't her soulmate. Some charlatan fortune teller must have given him Thalia's name at random, and the poor fool had believed it and come all this way to find her. There was no reason to think falling for him was inevitable or her "destiny" or whatever.

That was good. It meant she was safe. Thalia wouldn't fall in love ever again. She refused. She absolutely—

Realizing she was passing Sinbad's office, she paused, shifting awkwardly on her feet and wondering if she should go in. She hadn't seen him since that night when she'd left his office in a rush. He'd been so busy, he'd even been taking his meals in his office, and Thalia had been so focused on distracting herself, she hadn't thought about visiting him. She reached up to knock on his door, but stopped herself. He was probably still busy, and she would see him tomorrow anyway.

Smiling quietly to herself, she returned to her room and prepared to climb into bed.

* * *

"Muu Alexius, huh?" Sinbad wondered aloud, surveying the hundreds of boxes this illustrious customer would be picking up today. Rumor had it the half-blooded Fanalis was in the beginning stages of putting together some kind of Fanalis army, and judging by the supplies he'd ordered, the rumors would seem to be true— fifty sets of armor in all different sizes, several dozen swords and shields, and travel supplies to last for months.

"It's going to take hours to move all of this onto the caravans," Ja'far sighed from next to him. "You were right about people not showing up, Sin. The whole company is exhausted."

Sinbad nodded. "Well, we have Hinahoho, Rurumu, and Drakon. A single one of them is as good as three regular workers. Dinarzade also agreed to help. We'll be fine."

"You're forgetting Thalia," Ja'far admonished him. "She's here too."

"Is she?" She'd never responded when he'd asked her to work, and he had been to busy to ask her again. Sinbad cheered up at the thought of spending time with her. It had been a long three weeks, and though he'd seen her around in his periphery, he'd barely talked to her. So much for his plan to start flirting with her. At least he would get a chance today if they were working together.

"Don't you dare go harass her," Ja'far warned him, reading his intentions. "Focus on the job."

"The job is all I've thought about for three weeks," Sinbad complained. "Don't I deserve a reward?"

Ja'far relaxed, a thoughtful expression spreading across his face. "I suppose you _have_ been unusually focused. Maybe you've finally got your priorities straight…"

Sinbad tuned Ja'far out, his eyes wandering until they rested on two girls hovering among the towers of boxes. Thalia and Dinarzade were giggling conspiratorially with each other. Thalia leaned toward Dinarzade and brought a secretive hand up to her mouth. He frowned, noticing for the first time the white bandages around her palm. Had she hurt herself during her sword practice?

He really didn't understand her sudden interest in swordsmanship. He'd never seen her as a girl who was interested in that kind of thing, but she had seemed so serious when she'd requested he teach her. His lips quirked up into a cocky grin. He would have to see how she was improving now that his workload was about to return to normal.

"Sin? Sin, are you listening?" Ja'far's voice called out from beside him.

Sinbad didn't respond. He was already locked on his target. Why had he designed the company uniforms to be so loose-fitting? It was an unfortunate oversight on his part. He was certain training with a sword had toned Thalia's physique, but he just couldn't tell when she was hiding under all that fabric. He remembered how enticing she looked in that Heliohaptian tunic. Maybe he could convince her to pull it out and wear it again…

Ignoring Ja'far's exasperated scoldings, he strode over to the two girls, casting a shadow over Thalia as he leaned casually against one of the towers of boxes. She turned around to face him, her eyelashes fluttering in surprise. Her lips parted into a pleasant smile as her cheeks flushed with pleasure. He puffed up, his ego inflated by her reaction. She really did like him. Maybe she wasn't ready to admit it to herself, but everyone else could see it, and now Sinbad could too.

He turned his gaze to Dinarzade, who was watching him curiously. She did that a lot, he noticed. Sometimes, it seemed like she wasn't really looking at him, but something _around_ him. He had his suspicions on what it could be, but he didn't want to speculate too much. Maybe she was just nearsighted. He didn't know Dinarzade very well, but he knew she was kind-hearted and enjoyed gossiping. He was indebted to her kindness back on Ria Venus Island.

"Thanks for helping out, you two." He grinned, winking at Thalia. "You really saved us today."

"I'm not sure how helpful we'll be, but we'll give our best," Dinarzade chirped cheerfully.

"Speak for yourself," Thalia scoffed. "I'm just here for the overtime."

Sinbad believed it. Thalia seemed to be very motivated by money, even though he was pretty sure she rarely spent it on herself. Knowing her, she probably donated most of it to charities that helped orphans and underprivileged children. She certainly had a soft spot for kids. She even seemed to like that troublesome magi that had followed them from Carthago.

"Hey, Sinbad, do you know anything about the customer?" Dinarzade asked. "Thalia was just saying he's weird."

"I didn't say weird," Thalia defended herself. "I said he's probably an axe murderer."

"That's worse," Dinarzade scolded her before looking to Sinbad expectantly.

He quirked an eyebrow at Thalia.

 _An axe murderer? Really?_

"That's… unlikely," Sinbad said as the two girls leaned toward him eagerly. "Muu Alexius is from the influential Alexius family and is a direct descendant of Reim's first king. Rumor has it, he's very close to Reim's magi. His favorite food is meat and his hobby is sword dancing."

"Sword dancing?" Thalia grabbed his arm excitedly. "That's a thing?"

"Wow, you knew all that off the top of your head?" Dinarzade questioned, her eyes round with awe.

Sinbad puffed out his chest proudly. "When we were based in Reim, Ja'far forced me to memorize the profiles of all Napolia's elites," he explained. "And yes, Thalia. That's a thing."

She mumbled something under her breath that he couldn't understand.

"Anyways," he continued. "Why do you think he's an axe murderer, Thalia?"

"Okay, so…" Thalia prepared to launch into her story. "He comes up to me yesterday and says he's looking for Thalia Alexandris, right?"

Sinbad started to nod along thoughtfully, but froze as her words sank in. "He was looking for you?"

Why would one of the most prominent young men in Reim be looking for Thalia? She almost never associated with anyone outside the company after being set free from slavery.

"Right?" Dinarzade agreed. "But it gets even weirder."

"I thought it was strange because… well…" Thalia's expression clouded over for a moment before she perked back up.

He wondered where exactly her thoughts had taken her, but didn't ask. She'd already moved on, and he didn't want to pull her back to that dark place.

"Anyway," she said, getting back on track, "that part isn't important. Basically, I told him Thalia Alexandris quit and moved to Kou. So he started asking about the rumors that are always spreading about you and me, and I told him 'no, those are ridiculous.'"

Dinarzade cut her off. "And you know what he said?"

Sinbad shook his head, not sure he liked where this was going.

"'I'm not sure I believe them either,'" Dinarzade quoted, attempting a masculine voice. "'Because she's my _destiny._ '" Dinarzade switched back to her normal, high-pitched voice. "Like, first of all, those rumors are _not_ ridiculous because you two are obviously made for one another, and second of all, refer to my first point."

A vein throbbed in Thalia's forehead. He couldn't blame her. Just a month or two ago, he'd had the same reaction to the constant pressure for them to get into a relationship. Sinbad didn't know if he and Thalia were made for each other, but he could no longer deny the tentative sparks flickering between them.

As for Muu's words, he wondered if this had something to do with Thalia's need of a husband. Perhaps he intended to marry her and help her take back her country. If that was the case, as much as Sinbad hated to admit it, Muu and Thalia were perfect for each other. The Alexius family controlled a large portion of Reim's military and could afford to financially support a crippled nation until it got back on its feet. Strategically speaking, he was a flawless option. It really was like they were meant to be.

That thought irritated Sinbad. Though he was the most powerful man in the world, his hands were tied when it came to helping Thalia take back her country because of his alliance's policy not to invade, and as for marriage… he liked Thalia, but getting married was a big deal. He preferred to keep his focus on his employees and future citizens. Starting a family would distract from that. He really couldn't give Thalia any of the things she deserved. Even so, he wanted her, if just for a little while, and it seemed like Muu Alexius intended to pose as an obstacle.

"Oh, by the way," Thalia added. "I may have told him my name is Parsine, so please call me that for today."

"Roger," Dinarzade agreed.

Sinbad sighed. He was more than happy to play along with Thalia's charade to protect her identity, especially because he worried that if she realized what Muu was really after, she would jump at the opportunity. Why did her story have to be so convoluted, though?

"How am I supposed to explain this to the others?"

"Don't explain it," Thalia suggested. "Tell them I lost a bet. They'll go out of their way to do it."

He grinned proudly at his crafty friend, messing up her braided hair. She swatted him away playfully before whining.

"Sin, do you know how long it took me to get this right?" she groused.

He threw his head back and groaned at her theatrics. He put three braids in his hair every single day. Braids were not hard. Thalia was just spoiled.

When he left Thalia and Dinarzade, Dinarzade was running her fingers though Thalia's loose hair, preparing to rebraid it. He wanted to scold Dinarzade for indulging Thalia, but the pair seemed to be equally content with the arrangement. He supposed Thalia would always be a princess deep down, and no amount of hardship would change that.

Sinbad was just finishing the rounds asking everyone to call Thalia 'Parsine' when a carriage flanked by a fleet of caravans pulled up. Sinbad stilled, his eyes locked on the carriage door. Most likely, the person that came out of it would be the person who wanted to marry Thalia. Sinbad hoped he was ugly.

As the door opened, Sinbad scowled. The boy who stepped out wasn't ugly. Shiny red hair spilled over broad shoulders, and as he straightened, Sinbad realized he was tall. Really tall.

Sinbad subconsciously straightened his posture, wondering if Thalia liked tall guys.

When Muu's eyes locked on Thalia, he gave her a cheerful grin. "Parsine!"

"Muu!" Thalia responded nervously, leaning forward with her hands clasped behind her back. Sinbad had only seen her make this gesture once before, back in Heliohapt when she was saying goodbye to a boy she'd been on a date with.

Was she… flirting? Hadn't she just accused Muu of being an axe murderer? Just how fickle was she?

Sinbad set his jaw, strolling up to Thalia and casually placing a hand on the small of her back. Her small shoulders hunching, she stiffly spun around to face him. At least she was out of that flirty posture.

"Are you ready, _Parsine?_ "

"S- Sin!" she stammered, stumbling backwards.

Sinbad hoped she _was_ ready because he wasn't going to hold back with her today. Maybe Muu and Thalia were a match made in the stars, but Sinbad didn't just have the ability to see destiny. He could overcome it.

* * *

A/N: Lord, forgive me for dragging poor Muu into this LOL. I hope I can deliver on the Sinbad flirtations next chapter. Thank you to Ava-001 for editing some of my questionable writing decisions (go read her fic it's better than mine.).

Anyway, please leave a review if you enjoyed or if you have constructive criticism!


	35. Flirtations

Hey, everyone! Thank you so much for all your kind reviews on the last chapter! Please continue to give feedback because it's very encouraging and so exciting! I'd like to think Addicted-to-GazettE for beta reading and Ava-001 for editing. You'd be getting a much inferior product without them!

* * *

"Parsine!" Muu greeted Thalia excitedly as he exited his carriage.

"Muu!" Thalia's strained reply was shaky and drawn out. He was going to find out she was a liar today. She just knew it. Someone was going to call her Thalia, and then he would hate her.

Thalia didn't want him to hate her, though. When she'd picked up swordplay, she'd allowed her dance practice to suffer because of it. If there were some way of combining the two, however, Thalia wanted to know all about it, and this Muu guy could be the one to teach her. She leaned toward him, giving him her most winning smile. If all went well, by the end of the day, he would introduce her to this fusion of her two favorite things.

"Are you ready, _Parsine?_ " Sinbad's voice teased from behind, catching her off guard. As he spoke, she felt his hand brush against the sensitive spot at the base of her back, sending shivers up her spine. She spun around to face him, stammering his name.

"S-Sin!"

Clearly, he didn't know that spot was ticklish, or he wouldn't have touched her there, right? He grinned down at her unapologetically, as though he didn't realize what he'd just done or how it had affected her. If he was messing with her, he wouldn't be able to make that face. He would be holding back laughter instead. Satisfied what had just happened had been unintentional, she let out a quiet breath.

Muu looked back and forth from Thalia and Sinbad curiously. "Is this your boyfriend, Parsine?"

 _Not him too._

Muu had been the only one who believed the rumors were bogus, and now he was coming to the wrong conclusion on his own.

Thalia laughed a little too loudly, taking a small step away from her friend to clear up any misunderstandings. "No, no. Of course not. This is my boss, Sinbad."

"Ah!" Muu reached out a hand to Sinbad. "We've had a few correspondences over the last few weeks. My name is Muu Alexius. It's been a pleasure working with you."

Sinbad smiled warmly at Muu, reaching out to shake his hand. Thalia tilted her head curiously. Underneath Sinbad's cordial demeanor, she thought she detected a hint of tension. Did he dislike Muu? Was it because of her story? She'd been exaggerating when she'd said she suspected Muu was an axe murderer— at least, mostly. But, he did seem genuinely nice, if not either slightly unhinged or extremely gullible.

 _"She and I are destined for each other..."_

Thalia subtly shook her head as his words replayed in her head. She still didn't know where he'd gotten such a ridiculous idea.

The two boys wrapped up the conversation, and Sinbad began to repeat Parsine's name.

"Parsine. Paaarsine."

He flicked Thalia lightly on the forehead.

" _Parsine._ "

"Huh?" Rubbing her forehead injuredly, Thalia snapped to attention. He was talking to her. She was Parsine. "Yeah, Sin?"

"I want you to be careful," he ordered. "If there's a box you have trouble lifting, just leave it and someone else will take care of it. It'd be a shame if a pretty girl like you got hurt."

Thalia frowned, ignoring his playful wink. She was indeed weaker than most people in the company, but she didn't understand what that had to do with her being pretty or a girl. Rurumu was a beautiful woman, and she was insanely strong. Strength had nothing to do with gender or looks.

"Relax," she assured him. "I know my limit."

He reached out, and Thalia cringed, preparing to have her hair ruined for the second time that day. Instead, he patted her head gently, his golden eyes smiling down at her.

"Alright, then. I trust you."

As he held her gaze, some of her irritation melted away, replaced by an involuntary grin. It was the first time he'd said those words. She would have to work hard to prove she deserved them.

He withdrew his hand from the top of her head and walked away, leaving her with nothing but the smug wink he threw over his shoulder as he left.

"No wonder you didn't believe the rumors about him and Thalia," Muu observed. "You're both clearly smitten with each other."

She laughed awkwardly. "Of course it's not like that. He's my boss. We're good friends, but that's all."

Muu raised his eyebrows. "That look you gave each other was… friendly?"

Thalia nodded vigorously. Now he was getting it. "By the way," she said, abruptly trying to veer the subject toward the subject of sword dancing, "do you have any hobbies?"

His lips twitched into a surprised grin. Perhaps her attempt at small talk _was_ rushed and ill-timed. He was about to answer when Dinarzade called out to her:

"Parsine, let's _go!_ "

Thalia reluctantly backed away toward her friends and the load of work that needed to be done.

"I… should go do my job," she told Muu.

"We can talk later," he assured her, giving her that friendly smile that was starting to become so familiar.

Nodding, she spun around and pranced to join her friends' sides.

"Sorry," Thalia apologized, bowing her head to Dinarzade. "Did I keep you waiting too long?"

Dinarzade jerked her gaze from Muu's direction, uncrossing her arms. "I know I laughed before, but seeing you two together just now, it was almost like you really do belong together…"

Thalia crooked an eyebrow. Dinarzade sounded uncharacteristically somber. "Dina?"

Dinarzade shook her head forcefully, returning to her old self. "What I mean is you two just look so good together," she chirped. "That's all."

"Is it really?" Thalia wondered aloud. "You're being kind of cryptic."

Dinarzade shifted on her feet uncomfortably. "All I'm saying is that ever since we've come here, I've sensed a darkness in you that keeps getting heavier, and when you were with him just now, it was the first time I've seen that cloud lift."

"Darkness? Clouds?" Thalia made a show of looking around. "I don't see anything. I'm fine. You're imagining things."

Dinarzade sighed. "Of course you don't see it. You know what? Just forget I said anything." She gave Thalia a cheerful smile. "It wasn't important anyway."

"Of course it's important. You were thoughtful enough to worry about me," Thalia told Dinarzade, wrapping an arm around her. Dinarzade seemed confused by this interaction, and Thalia remembered she had once yelled at Dinarzade for touching her. Since that day, Thalia had grown more comfortable with contact from the rest of her friends. She'd allowed them to pat her on the back and even initiated the exchange of hugs with them. Now, she could give Dinarzade the affection she deserved. Thalia pulled her into a warm bear hug.

"Thanks for being such a good friend, Dina."

"Oh, stop it. You're going to make me cry," Dinarzade sniffled.

"Right." Thalia pulled away, smiling warmly at her friend. "Let's get to work then."

She looked around the various towers of boxes, all of which were stacked higher than she could easily reach. Instead of asking one of her taller friends for help, she found the shortest one, where the highest box in the stack was just barely out of her grasp. She didn't want to be a burden to the others, and at least if she looked like she were working, Ja'far and Rurumu wouldn't scold her. Besides, if she got on on the tips of her toes and stretched, she could almost…

She grinned as she managed to scoot the box toward her a little.

"That's dangerous," Sinbad scolded her, coming up from behind. Instead of waiting for her to move out of the way, he leaned over her to reach for the crate, his warm, firm chest pressing against her sensitive back.

She bit back a lustful sigh as she felt the rise and fall of his ribcage against the back of her head. What was he thinking, getting so close to her like this without warning? Surely he didn't think that their friendship left her immune to things like this? She would have to be a fool to deny that her best friend was attractive.

He finally pulled back, and Thalia turned around stiffly, dismayed by the perfectly innocent expression on Sinbad's handsome face. Was he messing with her? Was this some kind of joke? He handed her the box she had been reaching for, and she stuttered her prideful attempt at a thanks.

"Y-you really don't have to help me, Sin. I would have gotten it down eventually."

"I thought you said you knew your limits," Sinbad scolded her, grabbing two boxes of his own. "I guess it can't be helped. You and I will just have to stick together."

"But I—" She started to confess her plan to sneak away from her work to interrogate Muu about sword dancing, but thought better of it. "Fine. Whatever. When do I get my break?"

"You have to work before you get a break," Rurumu chided Thalia, brushing past her with five boxes in her ample arms. Shifting her own heavy box, Thalia lifted her legs, strained by the extra weight, and made her way to one of the caravans. She dropped the package with a loud thud and hunched over. She was already exhausted. Was it possible training with her sword so hard for weeks on end had weakened her instead of making her stronger?

Sinbad set his boxes down as well and stared at her incredulously.

"You can't be tired already. Haven't you built up any stamina from your sword training?"

"I… have…" she lied between pants. Maybe this was what Sharrkan had been trying to warn her against when he'd told her not to push herself too hard.

He sighed heavily, looking her up and down. "How did you get so weak? Are you sick?"

Thalia began to deny his concerns, but then she turned her head and caught sight of Muu, standing by himself as he oversaw the work. If she could get away from Sinbad now, she could talk to him about the sword dancing.

"You know, I think a break would be—"

He cut her off with a hand. "Ten more boxes. Then I'll let you have a short break."

"What's gotten into you?" she asked playfully, nudging his arm with her elbow. "You're usually such a tyrant."

"What can I say," he shrugged, heading back to grab more boxes. "I have a weak spot for pretty girls."

"Then shouldn't Dinarzade get a break too?" Thalia teased before he shoved another box in her arms. This one was was, thankfully, lighter than the last. He picked up three crates this time, and they began the short trek to the caravans.

"Maybe it would be more accurate to say, I have a weakness for a specific…"

Thalia tuned him out, distracted by the glint of Muu's sword as he stood idly polishing it. It was so big, and the hilt was imprinted with a gorgeous relief. Was that the sword he danced with? She imagined the beautiful arc it would make as it sliced through the air. Would he let her touch it if she asked nicely?

"Thalia!" Sinbad hissed in her ear, calling her attention back to him. "Were you listening to what I said just now?"

"Hm?" Thalia turned her attention back to her dejected friend, whose shoulders were slumped over. "No, what's wrong? Sin?"

Sinbad mumbled something along the lines of someone being "a formidable adversary for The Lady Killer of the Seven Seas" under his breath, and Thalia gave a confused smile, unsure what he was rambling about. She set the box she was carrying in the back of a caravan and returned to work. Nine more boxes to go, and then she could approach Muu.

* * *

.

"Ten! That's ten boxes!" Thalia panted as she set down the heaviest box yet. "Can I have… my break?"

"Yeah," Sinbad told her, adjusting boxes to fit his on the back of the caravan. "Just give me a second..."

It was too late. Thalia was gone as soon as she had permission, heading for a pile of boxes that would provide her cover from her friends' prying gazes. As she beelined for her destination, she ran into a broad, hard stomach.

"Parsine, huh?" Hinahoho chuckled when he saw her. "What kind of bet did you lose to get stuck with that name?"

"Oh," she forced out a round of light laughter. "I'd rather not say. It's too embarrassing."

"Sin says you lost at a drinking game, but I thought you didn't drink…" he mused aloud.

 _Sinbad said what? Come on, Sin, at least come up with something believable._

"That's how I lost. I didn't drink."

Hinahoho scratched the top of his head. "Why'd you agree to the bet if you weren't going to even try?"

"I—" She stumbled for a believable answer, fiddling with her fingers. "I was trying to show off."

Hinahoho sighed. "I know you have a crush on Sin, but you don't have to show off for him. Just be yourself."

"I _am_ myself," she protested. "And Sin and I aren't like that, anyway, so…"

"Whatever you say, _Parsine_." Hinahoho gave her a firm pat on the back and busied himself gathering more boxes.

Thalia breathed a sigh of relief and scrambled to her hiding place. She had finally escaped Sinbad and the others. Now all she had to do was send the signal for Muu to come join her in her hiding place so she could talk to him. As soon as his gaze wandered in her direction, she motioned for him to come join her.

"Parsine?" he asked, approaching her.

"Yes, that's me! Parsine!" She grinned anxiously. "Hey, I was wondering…"

He cocked his head to the side quizzically.

"What are you doing after this?" she asked, gesturing to the remaining boxes.

He sighed, scratching his neck. "Well, if Thalia is in Kou, I guess that's where I should head next."

Thalia's nervous smile fell from her face. He was seriously ready to head to Kou to find her. He was certainly tenacious, but… that wouldn't do. She couldn't let him leave. He had something she wanted, and she wasn't about to let him go so easily. Also, maybe she didn't have the heart to let him travel to the other side of the world for nothing. She would tell him the truth eventually— after he taught her how to sword dance. Then he could hate her all he wanted.

"Kou is so big," she reminded him. "You'll never find her just looking blindly. Ah!" She pretended to have an epiphany. "I know, Thalia and I weren't close, but… we did work in the same department. I got to know quite a bit about her over the months. Maybe I could tell you what I know. We might be able to find a clue. In return, I'd like you to do something for me…"

He narrowed his eyes at her, all his friendliness gone. "Ah. So you're that kind of girl." With a resigned sigh, he brought out a coin purse. "Alright, how much do you want?"

Thalia dumbly blinked at the coin purse. "What? No… Put that away. I don't want your money. The truth is, my boss said your hobby is sword dancing. I like swords, and I like dancing, but I only have so many hours in the day. I thought if you would teach me, I could combine them and practice more efficiently."

His eyes widened at her explanation. "You have the guts to try to manipulate one of the most powerful players in Reim and that is your goal?"

Thalia began to nod, then stopped. _Of course!_ She had plenty of money for herself, but she needed to fund an entire army to take back Attica. Not to mention, she was owed reparations for what this guy's relative had done to her. There was no shame in extorting money from an Alexius. She needed the money more than he did.

"Actually, I take it back. You're right. I want the money."

"Too late." He tucked the coin purse back in his pocket. "You've already made your demands."

She giggled charmingly. "Muu. Come on. It will be cheaper to pay me off than to travel all the way to Kou and search half a continent."

"You can't have been the only person who has a clue to where she was going," he asserted, looking around for other people. "I'll just ask everyone in this company until I find someone who is willing to help."

Thalia panicked. This was quickly spinning out of control. If he did that, he would discover just how big of a liar she really was. She had to pull back. She had to salvage this.

"Don't do that, Muu!" She forced a playful laugh. "I was joking! It was a joke! I'll help you out of the goodness of my heart, and maybe you can teach me about sword dancing of your own free will?"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "I'll have you know, I find your whole story extremely suspect, Miss Parsine. Can you really help me find Thalia? Or is this some kind of attempt to use me to social climb?"

"I can assure you, no one is more qualified to help you find Thalia than I am," she told him seriously.

"Then I look forward to working with you."

Thalia let out a sigh of relief as he walked away. She'd nearly bungled that negotiation by getting too greedy, but it had worked out in the end.

"Thalia..."

Sinbad's predatory voice greeted her conspiratorially from behind, and she whipped around to find him leaning casually against a stack of boxes.

"Sin, it's not what it looks like," she tried to explain. "I wasn't slacking. You promised I could have a break, remember?"

"What it looks like," he whispered, his golden eyes flashing darkly, "is you're quite enamored with our customer, when your focus should be…" He moved to pin her between himself and the boxes. "...on the _company_."

Thalia stared up at him breathlessly. What was he doing? It wasn't like him to behave so aggressively, not with her. His hand raised, gently caressing her cheek, and comprehension flooded her body at the same time all the strength left it.

He was flirting. He was _jealous. This_ was the Lady Killer of the Seven Seas. _This_ was the side of him Ja'far had warned her about, the side that had brought stronger women to their knees. Now, he had turned his sights to Thalia, and she was helpless under his gaze of molten gold. Weak kneed and dizzy, she was grateful for the support of the wall of crates behind her.

Sinbad's hand raised to gently caress Thalia's arm, and her frayed mental state unraveled further. Where was this coming from? They didn't see each other this way, right? They were just friends, weren't they? And what was this feeling in her chest, like her heart was about to burst out of its cage?

Just below the surface of her turmoil, one fact began to bubble in her mind: before he was her best friend, Sinbad was her boss. This was wrong. He had to know that.

"U-unethical," she squeaked as he began to lean in, his warm breath blowing against her cheeks. "This is so unethical, Sin. We can't do this. Ja'far will kill us! Mostly you..."

"I'm not worried about what anyone else thinks," he assured her. "I'm more concerned how you feel. Do you want me to stop?"

"I don't..."

"You don't?" He repeated her words victoriously.

"I don't know."

He sighed, taking her bandaged hand into his own and stroking the gauze with his thumb. "It's not a yes."

"It's not a no, either," she reminded him sternly, half-heartedly attempting to pull away. She found herself simply unable to turn him down with any level of conviction. Part of her wanted this and, whether she'd been willing to acknowledge it or not, had wanted it for a long time now.

His eyes glittered as his grip tightened around her palm. "Then I'd like permission to continue until you make up your mind. Let me take you on a date, Thalia."

"A date… between friends?"

He released her hand and scratched the back of his neck. "If that's what you're comfortable with, fine. A date between friends."

If that was the case— if they weren't going to get tangled up in messy feelings— Thalia could do this. Hadn't she decided she was going to marry him anyway? It wasn't like spending some quality time with her future husband could do any harm. Besides, maybe this was a good sign. Wasn't dating the first step of courtship? Didn't this mean she was that much closer to marrying him?

Gathering all her courage, she lifted herself onto the tips of her toes and swiftly pecked his cheek before pulling back, tugging shyly at her uniform and staring at her own feet.

"If we're done here, I think we should get back to work before the others notice we're gone," she mumbled.

"Yeah," he agreed, his voice smug. "We wouldn't want them to think you and I were up to anything _unethical._ "

"Please stop talking," she begged as she left her hiding spot, Sinbad following closely behind. "Someone might overhear you. I swear if you get me fired..."

"Thalia," Sinbad grabbed her wrist and spun her to face him. "You're dating the owner of the company now. No one's going to fire you."

"Oh god." The blood drained from Thalia's face as his attempt to comfort her backfired. No one could fire her because she was dating her boss. She could never be entirely certain she deserved any raises, promotions, or awards she received ever again. If her co-workers found out, they would resent her. Were the rumors right? Had she only received her current position because Sinbad liked her? This whole thing was so, so, so wrong. "T— Tyrant. You shouldn't be seducing your employees like this."

"Oh, I'm just getting started," he teased.

* * *

A/N (Caution! Thar be spoilers ahead!):

To the guest who left a review under the name "Hey": Thank you so much for your thoughtful review! I'll try to keep in mind what you've said about the descriptions, but if you want to leave a follow up review and tell me if there were any specific parts that you're referring to, that would help me understand exactly where I'm struggling. You don't have to, of course.

As for Thalia and Sinbad, it is NOT just you. You picked up on something in the dynamic between them that I don't intend to ignore and I hope I don't let you down when portraying it. Like, I don't want to give too much away, but Thalia and Sinbad's inevitable relationship is going to require severe acts of selfishness and irresponsibility on both their parts, and the results will have serious consequences (there's something to look forward to, everyone). I'm not sure they're going to develop self-awareness in this part of the story, but my hope is that the reactions of other characters and perhaps even fate itself will make it clear that, as they are, they _shouldn't_ be together (though, I hope they'll remain your problematic faves.). I'm crossing my fingers that I'll do a good job conveying that.

And definitely, I will try to work in your advice about Thalia's sister. To be honest, I've been trying to figure out how exactly I can do just that for a while and it's been tempting to just say "screw it" but you're right. She needs a little more development.


	36. Reality Check

Hello, everyone! I have what I hope is exciting news. Now that I kind of know how to write a story and I've written a couple of chapters ahead, I've been going back to expand chapter 4, which will soon be chapter 4, 5 AND 6 (I believe they will be called Violation, The Plan, and Becoming the Gorgon) because I'm not going to make anyone sit through 9000+ words in one chapter. I don't think if you don't go back and read it, that you'll be entirely lost, but it's almost all new content. It explores Thalia's relationship with Marcus and some of her fellow slaves better, so if you wanted me to do less summary in that part of the story, I'm happy that I finally have the skill to attempt to deliver on that. I haven't posted it yet, but I intend to as soon as I'm finished.

ANYWAY. Um. So. I want to apologize because these next chapters are probably going to be a roller coaster ride for some of you. I hope, no matter how painful it gets, that you enjoy the story. If you do, please let me know with a review! I will be trembling in a corner awaiting your wrath!

* * *

Thalia gazed miserably into the vanity mirror in her dorm room, inspecting her own face. She had attempted to apply her own make up, and the results were… less than satisfactory.

"Dinarzade~" she whined over her shoulder. "Please help me. I'm hopeless without you."

"Really, Thalia," Dinarzade scolded her as she set down her stitching to come help her friend. "It can't be that bad—" Dinarzade paused as she caught sight of Thalia's face. She fought back a giggle. "I can't tell if you're the raccoon or if you lost a fight to one."

"Very funny." Thalia rolled her eyes. "Please save me. I have a date tonight and I don't want him to know how incompetent I am."

Dinarzade gasped, spinning Thalia by the shoulders until they were face to face. "Who?"

Thalia pursed her lips and looked away. She really did not want to answer this. If anyone, especially Dinarzade, found out about her and Sinbad dating, she would never hear the end of it. Her peaceful life as a girl who wasn't dating her boss would be over. Well, it was already over, but making it public knowledge would be the final nail in her coffin.

"Come on, Thalia," Dinarzade urged her. "I know I don't keep many secrets, but when I do, my lips are sealed, and I swear on my life that I will not tell anyone. So who is it?"

Thalia kept firm, shaking her head.

"Well then," Dinarzade removed her hands from Thalia's shoulders and began to saunter away before pausing to look back pointedly. "I guess you can fix your make up yourself."

 _Damn it._ When had Dinarzade become so conniving? It looked like Thalia had been backed into a corner. She took a deep breath, preparing to out herself.

"It's Sinbad," she muttered quietly.

"What was that?" Dinarzade asked, pivoting to face Thalia completely. "I couldn't quite hear you."

Thalia growled. "It's Sinbad," she repeated more clearly this time.

"Oh."

Dinarzade actually sounded disappointed. Why? Hadn't she been one of the first people to insist Thalia and Sinbad belonged together? What was with the sudden change of heart?

"Oh?" Thalia mimicked her. "What does 'oh' mean?"

Dinarzade shrugged, wetting a cloth with oil and wiping off Thalia's garish eyeliner and smudged lipstick. "He's not good for you, Thalia."

"Of course he's good for me," Thalia insisted after she was confident Dinarzade was done running the cloth over her lips. "He's my best friend. We're a team. We build each other up. What's so bad about that?"

Dinarzade finished wiping Thalia's face and dried it off with a clean part of her rag. "Nothing inherently, but… remember that cloud of darkness I was talking about?"

"The _metaphorical_ darkness." Thalia clarified, remembering Dinarzade's strange comment from yesterday.

"Yes…" Dinarzade agreed with some hesitation. "The 'metaphorical' darkness." She picked up a thin, angular brush and dipped it in a pot of khol. "As soon as you started spending time with Sinbad again yesterday, it came back stronger than ever. Thalia, you used to be so bright. When my parents sold me into slavery, I was terrified, but then I saw you and I could just _feel_ that you were going to save us somehow. You had this radiance about you, and I knew your future had great things in store. Maybe not spectacular things like Sinbad, but still, you were going to make a lot of people's lives better. I could see it. That's why I decided early on, I would follow you until the day I die."

Thalia remained silent as Dinarzade ran the brush over her eyelid, creating a thin, dark line. She had feeling that Dinarzade wasn't quite done talking. She'd always thought Dinarzade had been strangely calm about her situation when they'd first been forced into slavery. Eventually, Thalia had just decided it was her sunny personality, but now she was realizing Dinarzade had just been frightened and recklessly attached all her hopes to Thalia. Dinarzade had come up with this narrative of Thalia being "bright" as a coping mechanism, a way to deal with what was happening.

Dinarzade began to line Thalia's second eyelid and continued talking. "Then Sinbad came along, and he was even brighter. He was so bright, your light got swept up into his, and I thought that was a good thing. I thought that meant you belonged together, so when I saw you were falling in love with him, I was happy for you."

Thalia sputtered at such an outrageous accusation. She was incapable of love. She was never falling into that trap again, not even with Sinbad.

"I'm not falling in love with him. What on earth... ? Where did you…? The very idea is utterly ridiculous. It's one date between friends—"

"Thalia!" Dinarzade interrupted her tirade sternly. "Swallow your pride for one second and let me finish."

Thalia reluctantly shut her mouth, and Dinarzade dipped a clean brush in a vat of rouge before painting over Thalia's lips carefully.

"Ever since we came here with him, your light has continued to dim, and I never put it together until I saw you with Muu. Sinbad doesn't build you up, Thalia. He makes you complacent. He distracts you from what you _need_ to be doing to fulfill your destiny because he's been dragging you into his. The two of you don't have a future together. Do you understand? _It's not your destiny._ " She finished applying the rouge and set down the brush.

Thalia was beyond angry. She was actually furious. She wanted to yell at Dinarzade for not being more supportive, for daring to suggest she had lost sight of what was important. Thalia was scrounging every last bronze coin to finance her war. She dressed like the most pathetic of peasants, always in white, because she couldn't bring herself to pay the few extra coins for dyed clothing. Thalia was working hard so that she could obtain a metal vessel to take back her country. Yes, sometimes she dared to want things for herself, but everything she did was ultimately for the benefit of her country.

Her decision to marry Sinbad was more so than anything. Who could be a better king for Attica? Who could provide a stronger defense than the man who'd conquered two dungeons? Who could revive the economy better than the man who'd raised a trading empire from the ground up? Attica didn't need a useless princess like Thalia. It needed a strong king like Sinbad. The only thing she could ever do to atone for her mistake of running away was to obtain his talents for her people. Of course she and Sinbad had a future together. She was becoming stronger so that she could be with him. She was becoming stronger to protect her people. Being with him was protecting her people.

She was growing attached to the vision of her life where she and Sinbad were together. She was no longer willing to consider other husbands. It had to be him. He'd asked her out. That meant her perfect future was within reach, and she couldn't give up on it now.

She didn't voice any of this. Instead, she tried to be sympathetic. Dinarzade was clearly suffering from losing her parents, and now that Thalia, the person she'd latched on to cope with her loss, was moving on to a new stage of life, she was frightened. Thalia took Dinarzade's hands in her own, and held them tenderly.

"Dinarzade, I understand that you and I have been through a lot together. I consider you one of my best friends. It's natural that as Sinbad and I explore a new kind of relationship, you'd feel threatened. I promise, you'll always be dear to me."

Dinarzade pulled her hands away, giving Thalia a betrayed scowl. "Did you listen to a word I just said?"

"I did." Thalia acknowledged somberly. "You're afraid that dating Sinbad will make me a different person from the one you've come to rely on."

"That is not what I said. I'm trying to tell you something important, and you're ignoring me just like you did with Marcus!"

Thalia went stiff at the mention of that name. How _dare_ Dinarzade bring him up to win an argument? Dinarzade had talked to him _once_. She couldn't know the history they'd had. Marcus had earned Thalia's trust through years of patience, and he'd betrayed her, but Dinarzade's mistrust of him had just been a lucky guess. There was no way she could have "seen" that he had bad intentions just by looking at him.

"How am I supposed to help you if you won't believe me?" the blonde continued. "Why can't you trust me just this once?!"

"You tell me Sin causes to to stagnate, but I've been moving forward," Thalia argued. "I've been studying business. I'm learning how to fight with a sword. I've made friends. I know my way around a boat now."

"How is any of that going to help you take back a country? You're learning to fight with a sword? One princess with a sword, a few friends, and a boat is going to take on the entire Parthevian army? What are you doing for your people? You know, the ones you're _supposed to take care of_. Instead of going to the dark continent, you should have been here planning and reaching out to potential allies, but because Sinbad asked you to go, you couldn't say no, could you?"

Thalia really couldn't have refused him. She would have followed Sinbad to the ends of the earth, but it wasn't like she hadn't made any progress in Heliohapt. She'd secured her country's place in the Seven Seas Alliance, gained experience with a dungeon, and seen the full potential of a metal vessel. One princess couldn't do much damage against Parthevia, but with a metal vessel, she could become a force to be reckoned with.

"Judar has promised to help me get a metal vessel."

Dinarzade's expression twisted into one of horror. "You shouldn't trust Judar either."

Thalia shook her head. "He's rough around the edges, but he's a good kid."

He just needed a little kindness. If everyone in his life gave up on him, of course he wouldn't turn out well, but Thalia was getting through to him. He'd even invited her to come meet his friends. He was opening up to her.

"He's rotting on the inside, Thalia. I told you, I can _see_ it." Dinarzade stomped her foot furiously.

"Well, my eyes work just fine, and all I see is you speaking poorly of a defenseless child."

"Maybe your eyes aren't as sharp as you think they are," Dinarzade snapped. "Maybe you should stop trusting the people who hurt you and start listening to the one who's trying to protect you."

Attempting to change the subject, Thalia inspected her reflection in the mirror. She no longer looked like a clown, but instead resembled a proper young woman. "You did such a good job, Dina."

Dinarzade huffed incredulously. "You're still not listening," she fumed as she stormed toward the exit. "Well, you're going to have to learn to apply it yourself. I won't help you chase after him again— he's destroying you. Just because I'm the only one who can see it doesn't mean it's not real!"

Thalia flinched as Dinarzade slammed the door behind her. Should she have pretended to believe Dinarzade? Or was indulging her fantasies the wrong thing to do? Burying her head in her hands, she sighed. She'd wanted to have fun on her date tonight, not worry about Dinarzade. Her blonde friend was usually sunny and mild, so why was she behaving so tempestuously all the sudden?

Thalia groaned, pushing herself up. Whether she was in a pleasant mood or not, she had agreed to meet with Muu tonight before the date, and she couldn't back out now. At least he seemed like a nice guy. Maybe he could cheer her up. At least this evening wasn't over yet. It was still salvageable. She could still have a good time on her date tonight, fight with Dinarzade or no.

* * *

Sinbad beamed proudly, dropping off a pile of paperwork on Ja'far's desk. This was his last task for the day, and he was now free to pursue leisure activities. After the hectic weeks of scrambling to put together the Alexius order, he desperately needed to blow off some steam. Maybe he would go drinking with Mystras or spar with Hinahoho. He could also spend some quality time with Sharrkan and Masrur, or maybe he could stay here and talk to Ja'far for a bit— anything to kill time until his date with Thalia tonight.

He reached up and touched his cheek, where she had kissed him yesterday with warm, soft lips. He had known the lips of many women— many of them better kissers than Thalia— but never had a touch so chaste sparked his imagination with such intensity. He'd been up late thinking about her— not just about her lips, but her hands, what they would feel like tangled in his hair, and her sighs, what they would sound like against his ear.

That one kiss had left him burning with curiosity, and it was driving him crazy. He glanced at rational, business-minded Ja'far. If anyone could kill the mood for Sinbad for a couple of hours, it was him.

Pulling up a chair, Sinbad began to call out for his friend's attention.

"Ja'far."

 _Nothing._

"Ja'far~"

 _Still no reaction._

"Ja'far!"

 _Zilch._

Sinbad sighed. Calling Ja'far's name wasn't doing any good. His friend was ignoring him. He kicked his legs onto his sandy haired boy's desk.

 _That should get his attention._

"Sin, please refrain from putting your boots on the furniture," Ja'far scolded him, nudging his foot away with a pen. Sinbad gave a satisfied smirk, returning his feet to the floor. If there was one thing he was good at, it was getting a response.

"Did you want something?" Ja'far asked with a sigh.

"Not particularly," Sinbad lied, picking up a pen and drumming it against the side of his chair. "Can't a guy just want to spend time with one of his best friends?"

"He can," Ja'far agreed reluctantly. "What did you want to talk about?"

"You pick a topic," Sinbad suggested. "My mind's a little distracted."

"I guess that works out perfectly, because I did have something I wanted to talk about, Sin." Ja'far finally lifted his attention from his work to stare at Sinbad accusingly. "I saw you and Thalia together yesterday."

"Yeah," Sinbad didn't understand the look Ja'far was giving him. Sinbad typically spent at least some of his free time with Thalia each week, and he was known for finding excuses to visit her during the work day. This wasn't something new. "You know how she is. She doesn't know her physical limitations, so I kept her with me so I could supervise her."

Ja'far shook his head. "I mean I saw you two together yesterday when you thought no one was looking. You looked pretty… _intimate_."

Ah, the exact thing Sinbad had wanted to forget for a while.

He sighed. "What about it?"

Ja'far set down his pen and folded his hands together on his desk. "Don't get me wrong; I like her. I really do. She's a sweet girl, but I'm not sure she's good for you."

Sinbad sat up straight, already exhausted from this conversation. He'd known since the beginning there had been tension between Ja'far and Thalia. He had refused to address in hopes that the two would work out their differences on their own, and, for the most part, it seemed they had, but Ja'far apparently still held some reservations about her. He trusted that, at this point, any objections Ja'far had were rational and well-thought-out. Sinbad could at least hear him out.

"Talk."

Ja'far scratched his head anxiously. "You've made some really questionable decisions when it comes to her."

Sinbad nodded to show he was listening. It wasn't like he could deny the allegation. He was already aware that he hadn't always been the most clear-headed when it came to Thalia.

"First, there was the promotion." Ja'far said, holding up a finger. "Don't get me wrong, she's done wonders for the company, but at the time it caused a lot of strife because she was picked over people who were more qualified. Two people quit over it."

Sinbad leaned back with his arms crossed, ready to defend this particular decision. "Thalia was more qualified than anyone for the position. She had already been working with the kids for several years and had a strong educational background. You've seen how high the productivity has risen under her leadership."

"That's true," Ja'far acquiesced, "Maybe that wasn't the best example, but what about when you offered to pay triple fair to convince Captain Reis to let her board the ship? Explain that."

Sinbad grimaced internally. That hadn't been one of his most rational moments, but he didn't want to admit it out loud.

"I already did. We didn't have time to find a new ship to contract."

"We could have just left her behind," Ja'far challenged. "Which brings me to another point. You brought her to the dark continent, knowing it was dangerous, knowing her presence would put the rest of us in danger."

Sinbad sighed. Ja'far was right. Sinbad had been using her as a security blanket without regard for how her presence compromised anyone's safety, but he'd learned to function without her again before the end of the trip. He had already seen the error of his ways. Shouldn't that count for something?

His pride wouldn't let him admit any of that out loud. He couldn't open up about his feelings. Instead, he came up with a half-assed excuse to try to set Ja'far's mind at ease.

"She helped us out a lot in Heliohapt."

Ja'far narrowed his dark eyes at his boss. "She didn't do anything we couldn't have handled on our own. You brought her into a dungeon—"

"That was for her own safety."

"A _dungeon_ , Sin!"

The two boys stared each other down for a full minute before Ja'far spoke again.

"I've always been able to have faith in you, to believe you had some kind of plan to get us out of sticky situations, but ever since you brought Thalia back to the company, you've made one bad decision after another, and she's the common denominator."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying you need to get yourself together and start acting like a leader. You've started pursuing her, haven't you?"

Sinbad looked away. He _had_ started pursuing her. She was the first girl he had liked romantically, and nothing Ja'far said was going to change that.

"Thalia's naive and inexperienced." Ja'far said, putting his pen back into a receptacle. "She's not going to be interested in the kind of casual relationship you want. She's going to want something with more commitment. If you start chasing after her, she's going to expect more than you're willing to give. Are you ready to destroy your friendship with her just like that?"

Sinbad was quiet. He knew Ja'far was talking about marriage. Sinbad was willing to give Thalia some level of commitment. He was willing to have an exclusive relationship with her for as long as the two of them enjoyed it, but he didn't want to make her any promises. He wasn't going to marry her, but that didn't mean that issue would be the end of their friendship. Did Ja'far think Sinbad and Thalia's friendship was so fragile, it couldn't handle a little disappointment?

"Another thing—" Ja'far's dark eyes bore directly into Sinbad's, warning him that whatever was coming next was more serious than everything else they'd discussed thus far. "Thalia was raped less than eight months ago. She may seem like she's recovered on the surface, but trauma like that doesn't just go away. Intimacy is probably going to be a struggle for her. What are you going to do, wait for her? How long do you think that will last realistically?"

"I already know," Sinbad asserted. "I know better than anyone how what happened destroyed her, but Thalia is strong. If she's willing to work through her fears, I'll wait for as long as it takes."

Ja'far watched him skeptically. "So you're ready to swear off women for an indefinite amount of time just so you can give false hope to a girl who's already lost everything."

"Is your opinion of me so low?"

Ja'far sighed. "I suppose I should know you well enough to recognize that look in your eyes. It's the same look you get when you talk about founding a country. You want her, and you're going to have her. Nothing I said could stop you at this point, could it?"

Sinbad grinned, proud that Ja'far recognized how seriously he was taking his pursuit of their mutual friend. She was not going to be a one night stand. He was going to romance her the way she deserved. His smile dropped as something sharp zipped past his cheek, narrowly missing it before lodging itself into the wall.

"You think that's something to be proud of?" Ja'far asked him darkly, his arm still outstretched from throwing a dart. "Sinbad, the people at this company have given up their entire lives to follow you here because of your dream, the one you swore you were going to make happen. You're going to become a king. Your ambitions are no longer your own. You're carrying the hopes and dreams of me, Drakon, Rurumu, Hinahoho, Mystras, Parsine, Pipirika, and every other employee on your shoulders. You're welcome to want other things, but don't you dare put her on the same level as founding your country. _This!_ " Ja'far pointed to his desk emphatically. " _The company_ has to come first."

Sinbad blinked as Ja'far's words began to soak in. He was right. Everyone was counting on Sinbad to lead the way forward, to shape destiny for them. Thalia would always have to take a backseat to that.

"Thalia is just an infatuation," Ja'far continued. "Like I said, she's a sweet girl. If you hurt her, I won't forgive you, but If you let your dream or the company suffer because of your _blind spot_ when it comes to her, I really won't forgive you. Everyone is counting on you to fulfill your promise. You have a responsibility to us. Do _not_ forget that."

Sinbad let out a disarming chuckle, attempting to lessen the tension that lingered in the air. He could minimize his relationship with Thalia if it set his friend at ease.

"Ja'far, you know me. I like girls, and Thalia is pretty. You're reading too much into this. Like you said, she's just an infatuation. I won't let her get in the way, and I won't let you down."

A skeptical laugh came from behind him, and he turned his head to find Dinarzade standing in the doorway, looking strangely hostile. Her eyes locked on Sinbad, her small lips pulling into a frown. "I need to talk to you, Sir."

Sinbad stood up, turning to face her. "Is something wrong?"

Dinarzade nodded. "It's about Thalia."

"Is everything alright with her?" Ja'far asked, springing up from his chair. "Does she need a doctor?"

Dinarzade ignored him, keeping her gaze fixed on Sinbad. "I'd like to talk to you privately if that's okay."

Sinbad turned to Ja'far. "Do you mind if we borrow your office for a moment?"

Ja'far nodded, grabbing a couple of scrolls and scrambling for the door. When he reached the threshold, he paused. "Please, let me know if she needs anything."

When his request was met with silence, he closed the door gently behind him.

Sinbad situated himself in Ja'far's chair and gestured for Dinarzade to sit where he'd just been sitting. She refused, staring at the ground with her eyebrows furrowed. Sinbad sat anxiously, tapping his fingers on the wood of the desk impatiently.

"I have a secret," Dinarzade finally confessed. "My mother was a magician from a country that discriminated against her, and though I didn't inherit her gifts, I can see the rukh. I've always been able to see the rukh, but she made me swear I'd never tell anyone. I've kept that promise until today."

"Thank you for opening up to me, but what does this have to do with Thalia?" Sinbad asked.

"Normally, rukh are supposed to be white, like yours. Thalia's used to be that color too, but for months now, one by one, her rukh have been turning black."

Sinbad's restless fingers stilled. Was Thalia still in danger of falling? Ever since her talk with Ja'far a few weeks ago, she'd seemed less erratic, so he'd assumed the danger had passed, but was she really still in such a dark place?

"I came to ask you to stop pursuing her," Dinarzade continued, "because I think you're the cause. She won't listen to me. She doesn't believe me that something is wrong, but I can _see_ it, and I've heard you're no stranger to the rukh either which is why I'm begging you to listen to me. Leave her alone. I see how she gets so caught up in you, she's losing her drive to move forward. She doesn't believe in herself anymore. She thinks you can fix all her problems, but you don't plan on doing that, do you?"

He shook his head. "I appreciate your concern Dinarzade, but I've known about Thalia's state for a while, though I didn't realize she was still in danger. I already know what this is about, though, and it's not me; I promise you. She has a sordid history with one of the other employees here, and it's put a strain on her. That's all. We'll have to figure out a fair way to deal with both of them—"

"You're wrong!" Dinarzade took three clumsy steps forward, slamming her hands on the edge of the desk. "I've heard you can read destiny like waves, so look at your own future! Tell me where you see her in it!"

Sinbad almost laughed, finding her request unnecessary. Now that he didn't need Thalia the way he used to, he could read the waves of destiny again, but he'd never looked for Thalia's place in his life. He'd always taken it for granted that she would be in it one way or another. To appease Dinarzade, he decided to read the waves looking specifically for Thalia, but… it was strange. No matter how hard he looked, she wasn't there. It was like… she wasn't supposed to be in his life… at all.

"You don't see her, do you?" Dinarzade asked frantically. "You've just been dragging her along with you because you can do that. Your will is strong enough, you could sweep anyone up in your destiny if you wanted— you could even overpower theirs— but not without consequences."

Sinbad realized he had already known that she didn't belong in his life, and he'd made a conscious decision to pursue her anyway. He'd already seen they were drifting in different directions— Thalia belonged with someone like Muu, who was willing to marry her and could help her take back her country. Realistically, how did Sinbad plan to share a future with Thalia, even as best friends? Once she managed to take back Attica, she would be unable to travel freely. He still didn't know where he was going to find land for his country, but it probably wouldn't be close to Attica. Even if they were able to visit each other, it would take a good chunk of time away from what they both needed to be doing— ruling. She would become a hindrance to his dream, as Ja'far feared.

"She has her own destiny to fulfill, but she can't do that," Dinarzade told him. "Not when you're selfishly clinging to her. Let her go, Sinbad. Let her go, or she will never live up to her full potential. She will always be stuck."

That's right… Thalia was stuck. Sinbad had thought if she had enough supportive people around her, she would manage to overcome all her traumas and grow into the strong woman he believed she really was, but what if Dinarzade was right? What if he was somehow holding her back, despite his best intentions? Sinbad buried his face in his hands.

"Dinarzade, you know I care about her. She didn't just save us from slavery. I was ready to sacrifice you and every other child in that place if it meant escaping, and I would have, but… Thalia showed me another way. She's the only reason I'm still living with a clean conscience today, and I owe her the world. You want me to just… give up on her?"

Sinbad had given up twice in his life— first on Ria Venus Island, then in Zepar's dungeon. Each of those times, he'd given up on himself— on his dream— not on another person. His own stubbornness had seen Hinahoho become a brave man, Ja'far become a studious child, Drakon become a loyal ally, and Mystras become a seasoned traveller. Sinbad didn't give up on people.

Dinarzade shuffled around the desk, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Sinbad, I know you love her. So do I. That's why we have to do what's best for her, no matter how much it hurts. If she won't protect herself, she needs us to do it for her."

He sighed, meeting Dinarzade's warm, friendly gaze. He knew she wasn't lying when she said she was motivated by love for Thalia. Dinarzade was not a conniving girl. She had to be genuinely concerned for her friend's wellbeing, and if she was asking him to do something that would hurt Thalia, it had to be as a last resort. He really was tearing Thalia apart.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked reluctantly. "How can I protect her?"

Dinarzade lowered herself to his eye level, her green eyes taking on a hardened quality. "Tonight, you're going to take Thalia on the best date of her entire life. Give her the happiness she deserves for just a few hours. Then, when you're exchanging goodnights, you're going to tell her you can't see her anymore, not even as friends."

 _Not even… as friends?_

Could Sinbad really do this? Could he really cut her out of his life completely? Even if it was for her sake, wasn't this a little drastic? What if Dinarzade's plan backfired and losing him was the final straw for Thalia?

Dinarzade's grip tightened around his shoulder. "This is her only chance. No matter how much she begs and pleads, you have to stay firm. You say you care about her, so prove it. Do the right thing. Break her heart."

Sinbad owed Thalia the world, but it looked like he wasn't meant to repay her.

"Alright," he agreed reluctantly, his voice cracking. "I'll do it."

* * *

Edit on 1/19/2019: I tried to fix Thalia's characterization a bit so that it doesn't ignore all the progress she _has_ made. The longer this story gets and the more ideas I mull over, the harder it is to keep up with where her character development should be at any given moment. I also tried to make Sinbad's opinion on their relationship more consistent. I wrote part of this a long time ago when I had a different idea of the place they were going to be in their relationship at this point in the story, and I made some effort to fix it before I published the chapter, but it wasn't enough. There are a couple more things I might try to fix in the future, per my beta reader's suggestion, but right now I'm still thinking over it.


	37. Precious

The new chapters are up!They are called Violation, The Plan, Two Letters, Dreams vs Reality, Safe, and Becoming the Gorgon. I have also updated Mortal with some dialogue between Thalia and Marcus shortly before the page break about half-way through the chapter.

I apologize for not being a more organized author. I believe these chapters better lead up into the story I ended up telling (I swear I have an outline, I just... wiggled around details... a lot.) and are hopefully more entertaining than the chapter 4 I originally wrote. In some ways, these chapters actually tell the story as closer to what I originally intended it to be but didn't have the skill to type out. I wish you guys didn't have to suffer through my terrible writing decisions, but here we are, and I thank you for being patient and for all your kind words. I do recommend you read them when they're published, because events and characters from these chapters are likely to be mentioned in the future.

Anyway, if you're wondering exactly how long this freaking story is going to end up actually being, don't worry. I'm in the same boat. I have no idea, but it looks like we're getting (close?) to the half-way point... of the first part. Thank you guys for your patience, advice, and feedback and a special thanks to Ava-001 and Addicted-to-GazettE for editing and beta reading and helping me improve.

Now that all that is out of the way, please enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Inside Muu Alexius's hotel room, Thalia slumped defeatedly on a chair, ignoring the fresh bunch of grapes beside her. She loved grapes, but right now, her appetite was ruined. In fact, this whole experience was ruined for her. She hadn't been around anything this luxurious in a long time— soft, velvet cushions in her seat and a golden goblet for her water. How was she supposed to appreciate any of it when she'd just fought with one of her best friends?

She turned her attention to the boy across from her, putting on a fake smile for him. She wasn't about to let a stranger have a glimpse into her personal life. She wouldn't even give him a reason to pry.

"So tell me about Thalia," Muu said. He leaned toward the girl whose name he believed was Parsine. "What kinds of gifts does she like?"

"Oh…" Thalia didn't feel like she deserved any gifts, but she needed to answer him or he wouldn't teach her about sword dancing. Though, at the moment, even sword dancing didn't sound particularly exciting. She racked her brain for anything that sounded pleasant in her current state. Maybe an apology from Dinarzade would suffice, but she didn't think Muu could give her that.

Her eyes drifted to the silk curtains hanging from the ceiling. There had once been a time when rich silks were all she wore. Now, she always dressed in plain white cottons and wools, the teal shawl Narmes had given her being the only exception. She supposed… if there was one thing she wished for… it would be to have at least one dress that made her look like Attican royalty. "Thalia was always proud of her home country," she said quietly. "I think she would like a traditional Attican dress."

"And how do they dress in Attica?" he inquired eagerly. "Also, do you know her measurements? I'll have an outfit made and give it to her when I meet her."

Thalia blinked in surprise. Was he serious? There was no way he was going to just have someone make an entire outfit for a girl he'd never met, right? She supposed… she could at least indulge him.

"Well, you don't need her measurements. In Attica, women wear a full-length rectangular cloth— that's the peplos— and we secure the sleeves with pins called 'fibula.' We fasten it around the waist with a girdle, and then we often wear a wrap called a himation for modesty. It's one-size-fits-all fashion."

Thalia straightened as he scribbled her words down.

"And what colors does she like?"

Her eyes flicked up in thought. Sinbad had complimented her teal shawl, but… wouldn't he get bored of seeing her in the same color all the time? Maybe she should spice things up with a sultry red or regal purple. The dye for those colors wasn't exactly cheap, but it wasn't like this Muu guy was actually going to have clothing made for her. This was all just wishful thinking… right?

She drew in a sharp breath as his hand hovered over his scroll, eagerly awaiting her answer. He might actually intend to go through with this, but she had promised to tell him about Thalia… and there was nothing she could do if he had clothing made for her without her permission. At least, that's what she told herself.

"She talked about wanting more red and purple in her wardrobe," Thalia informed him, guiltily hoping he really did plan on giving her something like that… so she could wear it for someone else.

"So, your answer to my earlier question made it sound like you're Attican as well." Muu observed, showing a rare interest in the actual Thalia before him and not the imaginary one that had moved to Kou.

"I am," she affirmed. There was no point in hiding it. Despite her Parthevian half, her Attican traits were the most prominent, and anyone familiar with what a typical citizen looked like would be able to place her easily. Lying about this particular detail would only serve to provide a point of weakness in her false identity.

"Did you know Thalia is your rightful queen?" Muu asked, sitting up.

That's right. Thalia wasn't just a princess anymore. She was supposed to be a queen. In that case, Dinarzade's words from earlier stung even more. That anyone could accuse her of not putting her people first… she was trying so hard to make up for her mistakes, and apparently she was failing in Dinarzade's eyes. What if Dinarzade was right, though? What if she was still willing to abandon them again? Surely there was nothing that could lead her astray again, not when she'd worked so hard to begin the process of atonement.

But deep down, Thalia knew she was selfish. She had always been, and always would be selfish. She was a terrible queen. Why had someone like her been born a useless princess?

"Some queen she is, abandoning her people in their time of need," Thalia sneered, voicing her self-loathing aloud.

Muu shook his head sadly. "You shouldn't blame her. It seems some nefarious organization tried to interfere with your country's politics, and her disappearance was likely caused by that."

"She ran away, didn't she?" Tossing her head back, Thalia laughed bitterly. "That was her decision. If she had just stayed—"

"If she had stayed where she was, there is a strong possibility she would have been killed along with her parents," Muu interrupted her, sitting up again and resting his arm on the back of his chair. "There was a way for her family to ally themselves with Reim without provoking Parthevia, but trying to marry her off to the crown prince was not in anyone's best interest. Most likely, a member of that organization was trying to wreak havoc by suggesting such a stupid thing. "

Thalia remembered the lilting voice that had convinced her father to betroth her to Nerva Julius. Was that person with this organization he was talking about? What motive could they have had for messing with Thalia's life? Was everything the fault of this organization?

"Reim is also partially to blame for the tragedy that befell your land," Muu continued, gazing out the window. "Unfortunately, our emperor was eager to obtain Attica as a military base and acted too hastily, ignoring warnings from his trusted advisors."

"But she chose to run away," Thalia challenged him. "She chose to abandon her people."

"Thalia may have made an irresponsible decision in running away, but it ended up preserving her life. For that, you should be thankful. Your country's monarchy will continue uninterrupted."

"So her people are just supposed to forgive her for her stupidity because it worked out in the end?" Thalia asked incredulously. Was he seriously saying she didn't bare any blame… at all? That she wasn't a failure? That she didn't need to hate herself any longer?

"That is the nature of destiny." Muu told her sagely. "It cannot be thrown off course so easily. There are a thousand paths, but they all lead to the same destination."

"And in Thalia's case… that destination is you," Thalia said, crossing her arms skeptically.

"It is."

"And what makes you so certain?" she prompted, picking up her water. "How can one know one's own destiny?"

Muu's expression registered a hint of guilt. "I hope you can forgive me, but as an unconcerned party, I'll have to keep you in the dark."

"Am I really that unconcerned?" Thalia kicked one leg over the other, swirling her goblet by its golden stem. "You're planning on following my former co-worker— who you haven't even met— across the world. It comes off as, dare I say, a little obsessive. Maybe instead of her soulmate, you're her stalker. In that case, helping you would put her in danger, which is very _concerning_."

She knew very well at this point that whatever reason Muu was trying to find her was more complex than mere stalking, but she threw out the accusation anyway, hoping to force him to give an explanation for his behavior. Why was he so intent on believing he was her soulmate? Why was he taking notes on how to win over a girl he'd never seen or talked to? This clearly couldn't have been his idea— someone would have had to tell him she existed, so who had put it in his head that he needed to come find her?

Muu removed his arm from the top of his chair, twisting back to face her. This time his friendly smile showed a hint of strain. "Miss Parsine, from our interaction last time where you attempted to extort money from me, I've judged you to be a calculating person. For that reason, I've decided it's best to keep you at arm's length in some matters. I hope you can understand… though, I suppose I can tell you this much: my family's connection to Reim's magi, Lady Scheherazade, is no secret."

Thalia nearly dropped her water. "You're saying… a magi sent you?"

A magi like Judar… a maker of kings… had sent this man to find her? Could magis predict someone's destiny? If that was the case, if this Muu guy really was her destiny, did she have any right to try to defy it?

"See, Parsine, when Thalia ran away, she didn't really do so by choice. Her actions were guided by fate, all so that she could live, and one day she and I could find one another. I'm going to marry her and help her take back your country. Within a couple of years, you'll be able to return home. Isn't that great?" He beamed at her like he'd just delivered the best news she would receive in her entire life.

She thought about the future she had envisioned for herself: her and Sinbad ruling Attica together. With his intelligence and leadership skills, they would restore Attica to its former glory. Her citizens would be lifted from their dark state of oppression into an era of peace and protection, the same thing Sinbad provided for Thalia. The people of her country would be happy, and, most of all, it was a life where she wouldn't have to sacrifice her happiness with her best friend.

Was Dinarzade right about Thalia not having a future with Sinbad? Was that dream… impossible?

Thalia brought her hand up to touch the intense ache that was burning in her chest. This went beyond disappointment. This was… something else entirely. She'd had her concept of the future ripped out from under her before, but nothing had ever made her feel quite so broken and lost. She couldn't even cry. All she could do was stare at Muu, the boy who had come to ruin everything. She didn't want him. She didn't want her destiny.

"Parsine? Is something wrong?" Muu stood up and crossed the room, putting a kind hand on her shoulder.

It seemed he was a genuinely good guy.

Thalia still didn't want him.

"I think… that's enough for today," she told him quietly, standing up and smoothing out her skirt. "I'm afraid I'm suddenly not feeling well. You can hold up your end of the bargain another day."

He gave her that friendly smile he was always wearing. She'd begun to find it comforting and familiar, but right now she hated it.

"Thank you for your help, Miss Parsine. I hope you feel better soon. Despite what I said earlier about you being calculating, I don't get the feeling that you're a bad person. I hope we can become friends."

Thalia forced a flattering grin. "Friends… yes. Let's be friends."

 _And nothing else._

Maybe it was time she stopped tiptoeing around the issue of marriage with Sinbad. Maybe she needed to take her future in her own hands. Dinarzade and Muu kept trying to tell her Sinbad wasn't her destiny, but she had spent her entire life allowing other people to tell her what to do. She was stronger now. Maybe she could forge her own destiny, one where she didn't have to give up the happiness she'd found at the Sindria Trading Company for the sake of her people. Maybe she could have everything.

* * *

Sinbad stood solemnly at the edge of the company grounds, waiting for his date to show up. Tonight was supposed to be exciting, but all he felt was dread. When the night was over, he wouldn't just be telling Thalia they wouldn't be going on another date. He was going to have to break off their friendship altogether because he cared about her too much to let her fall into depravity for his sake.

"Sin, you're early," Thalia's voice greeted him soberly. Sinbad looked up to see she was wearing a sleeveless dress— rare but not unheard of. Wrapped around her shoulders was the teal shawl that had first appeared in Heliohapt on the night she'd been on a date with another guy. It had obviously been a gift from him. Was she trying to tell Sinbad she was still thinking about Narmes?

Then, she inched toward him, reaching for his hand, and her eyes glittered with a faith and affection he'd never seen directed at anyone else. That look was only for him. Whatever her reasoning for wearing a gift from another guy, Sinbad could see he was the only one in her heart. She was a great actress, but she was terrible at hiding that particular fact.

"You're early too. Were you that excited to see me?" he teased, reaching out for her outstretched palm and tugging her against him. She let out a cry of surprise, and he chuckled, wrapping his other arm around her. He could mope throughout the entire date, or he could give her one unforgettable evening. Sinbad was too selfish to do anything but the latter. Years from now, when she was lying awake at night with her boring spouse by her side in a plush bed fit for a queen, he wanted her to remember this date and ache for him, for what could have been. He wanted a piece of her to always belong to him.

He hadn't intended to kiss her, but he found his lips buried in her fragrant hair. He'd once told her he liked her soap, but that had been a lie. It wasn't the soap he liked. No matter how many times she changed her shampoo or what kind of perfumes she wore, there was always a subtle undercurrent, a pleasant, sweet scent that was unmistakably Thalia. It was that smell he enjoyed so much, and now it was surrounding him, intoxicating him, stroking his desire and eating away at his self-control. His hand on her back began to drift lower, in search of the curves he knew existed under all her loose skirts and dresses.

"Sin!" she squeaked, slapping his wandering wrist away. "We're in public!"

"It's fine, isn't it?" he mumbled into her ear. "We're the only ones here."

Despite his words, he didn't continue to pursue the matter. He placed his hand chastely near her shoulder blades instead. He behaved like the perfect gentleman she'd always believed he was, and that's why it came as a shock when she pushed him off her anyway. Then he remembered this was Thalia, the impenetrable fortress. It really shouldn't have been surprising.

"This isn't just about people seeing us," Thalia muttered. "Look, it's not like I haven't thought about… with you…" Her face turned bright red as he smirked. The impenetrable fortress been thinking about those things? Maybe she wasn't so impenetrable after all. "But I need you to slow down. I- I'm still terrified. You know my experience with these things is… not the best."

He reached out and stroked her cheek tenderly. "Alright." He was on a bit of a time crunch, but she was ultimately in control. He would do his best to get a kiss out of her before their final parting, but only if she was comfortable with it. "Tonight, you get to be the tyrant."

He'd never seen Thalia puff up with such pride. If he'd known telling her she was in charge would make her so happy, he would have gladly taken a backseat more often.

...Unfortunately, it was too late. To think, there were still things about her he didn't know, and now he would never get the chance to find them out.

"So, what exactly are we doing tonight?" she asked, her foot grinding into the cobblestone street and her hands hidden demurely behind her back. Sinbad felt a rush as he realized that flirtatious posture was finally directed at him. It took all his will-power not to drag her back into another embrace.

"First, we're shopping for your birthday present," he told her.

"But Sin, my birthday's not for another month and a half. You know that, right?" She crossed her arms and set her jaw, making a display of her offense.

He forced a bright smile to hide the painful truth. In a month and a half, they would have nothing to do with each other beyond the necessary interactions between a boss and employee, and even those would be as few as possible. That was why he had to give her a present now, something she could remember him by.

"I know, but I just can't wait to spoil you." He took her hand, leading her in the direction of the night market. "Come on."

He guided her through Balbadd City's busy streets, holding on to her tightly. He couldn't afford to get seperated from her in one of these crowds. Every minute they were seperated was a minute he lost with her, and with only a few hours left together, every moment was precious.

He kept glancing behind him anxiously to make sure she was still there, that the warm hand in his grasp wasn't a figment of his imagination. Each time he looked back, her eyes were fixed on their intertwined fingers, her expression strange and inscrutable.

 _Why is she so fixated on our hands?_ he wondered.

No matter how many times he looked back, she was still staring, her eyebrows furrowed. Maybe his palm was sweaty and she didn't like it. Too bad. He wasn't giving her a chance to get lost.

He finally weaved their way to the place he'd had Mystras scope out for him in secret last night— the finest jewelry stand in Balbadd. Even the Sindria Trading Company didn't have items of such high quality and craftsmanship. The owner made all of the jewelry himself to exacting standards.

Sinbad stopped in front of the cart, scanning for items worthy of his best friend, the most beautiful girl he'd ever laid eyes on. Thalia stood next to him, looking around curiously.

"It's getting late, but so many shops are still open," she observed. "Just what is this place?"

"It's the night market," he explained. "You can find some of the most unique items in the world here at competitive prices, because operating permits are cheaper during these hours…"

He paused, a pair of dangling earrings catching his eye. Picking them up, he held them to her face and made a show of disapproval.

"These won't do," he purred. "They look so plain compared to your beauty."

His teasing had the desired effect. Her face began to blush the telltale pink that he adored so much. His mission had been successful, but he was far from done. Sinbad was not a merciful man, and he was going to embarrass her until she couldn't take any more.

He picked up another pair, these even more extravagant, and made a show of inspecting them.

"Hm. Same problem." He turned to the merchant. "Sir, do you have anything that could possibly hold a candle to her radiance?"

The man laughed heartily, playing along with Sinbad's antics.

"I'm afraid not, but may I suggest this pair with rubies? Her blushing might seem a little less prominent in comparison."

Sinbad stifled a chuckle as she slumped, clearly mortified by the fact that even a stranger was assisting in his shameless flirting.

"I think we'll take the rubies."

"A- actually," Thalia managed to choke out from beside him, "I was thinking something more like this."

She pointed to a simple silver ring.

Sinbad laughed. She was on a date with the wealthiest man in the world, and she picked the cheapest thing she could find in the shop. It was so typically Thalia, but she was a princess, and it was clear she'd been spoiled in her past. She had to have more expensive tastes than what she let on. She was holding back on him.

"You realize I'm paying, right? You can get whatever you want. I promise, I can afford it."

"It's not about the cost," she explained, picking up the ring and handling it tenderly. "It's plain, but that means I can take it everywhere with me without worrying someone might want to steal it. Since it's a gift from you, I don't think I could ever bear to lose it."

Sinbad's smile faltered as she turned her adoring gaze back to him. He wished he could have told her if she ever lost her gift, he would just buy her another. He wished her words didn't cause a painful tightness in his chest, because it was so obvious she cared about him, maybe even loved him. She was his, but she shouldn't be. She _couldn't_ be.

His arm moved to pick up her hand and try her new piece of jewelry on all her fingers until he found one that fit— the left middle finger, right next to the ring finger. It was fitting, he thought. He couldn't occupy that sacred spot, but his gift to her would always be there, taunting the man who dared to marry her. Maybe her husband would give her a flashy ring, one that thieves could covet, but this ring would always mean more because she couldn't bare to lose it.

 _Or maybe it's me she couldn't bare to lose…_

 _...She'll just have to pull through. She's strong. She can do this._

"It's perfect," he told her, still clinging to her hand. He turned to the man who ran the stall. "How much?"

The man was watching the two of them fondly. "Normally, I'd charge fifteen gold coins for something like that, but it does my heart good to see a couple so in love. Reminds me of myself and my wife before she passed away."

Sinbad saw Thalia bite something back out of the corner of his eye. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes and tugged her closer, wrapping an arm around her. Was she still trying to deny she had feelings for him even after what she'd just said about the ring? Why was she so stubborn?

"Since you two have made my evening, how about I charge you three gold coins? That's a pretty good discount."

"I would have paid whatever price you asked if it made her happy, but we're both grateful for your generosity. Thank you, Sir." Sinbad let go of Thalia's hand and took out the money, placing it in on the counter.

"So when is the wedding?" the man asked, fingering the coins as though he were inspecting them for validity.

"There's no wedding," Sinbad responded confidently. "We're both married to our jobs."

Thalia went rigid in his arm before squirming uncomfortably. "Actually, Sin, I was wanting to… negotiate with you about something."

Oops. At the mention of work, he had apparently reminded Thalia of something she'd failed to talk to him about during business hours. He swore if she asked for one more raise before the year ended, he was going to dock her pay for a week in the amount she asked for. …No, he couldn't do that. Then he would have to give her the raise anyway as an apology. He wouldn't be able to bear seeing the disappointment on her face.

Wait, since when did she have him wrapped around her finger to this extent? Had she crept up on him more than he'd realized? Did he more than just _like_ her?

He pushed that question aside. The answer didn't matter. What he needed to do was still the same no matter how strongly he felt about her.

"We can talk about business at the end of the night," he assured her. "Let's have fun for a bit longer."

Every second with her was precious, and he still had so many things he wanted to do together.


	38. Trust Broken

Yoo! I got those new chapters I've been ranting about up! Also, Kingdom Hearts 3 came out and I spent all week watching my friend play, but luckily I already had this chapter written. I won't be able to slack off this coming week though! Anyway, this hasn't been looked over by my beta reader yet, but hopefully it's good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go watch more KH3. Please leave a review if you enjoyed!

Also, one question: I noticed the M Alexius chapter got double the views of the rest of my chapters last month. Did you guys just really enjoy that chapter? Would you mind letting me know what exactly you liked about it so I know what I did well? Thank you!

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The streets of Balbadd City were noisy and bustling, a cacophony of sights, sounds, and smells tugging Thalia's attention in all different directions. To her left, a sensuous dancing girl gyrated her hips seductively, and when Sinbad glanced in her direction, Thalia found her jealousy die out as her own eyes lingered. To her right, a man sat cross-legged, plucking at his sitar languidly. He nodded at Thalia serenely as they made eye contact, acknowledging her existence. Behind her, the savory smell of kababs had been following her and Sinbad for several yards, even though they had passed the cart that sold them a while back. All around them, torches lit the streets, guiding their path and casting hundreds of shadows as people mulled about, shouting and laughing. The air was so thick with tobacco, she could taste it when she opened her mouth to speak.

Thalia had never experienced this part of Balbadd City at night. She would have been overwhelmed, but something was grounding her, keeping her safe. Sinbad was in front of her, holding on tightly, and when she stared at the way his large hand enveloped hers, nothing else mattered. The sights and sounds of the city died away, and all she could think about was the warm feeling in her chest. She always seemed to experience it around Sinbad these days, but now, when he was holding her hand like this, it intensified to the point where it frightened her.

Thalia wasn't sure what it was. She'd considered that maybe this was what an intimate friendship was supposed to feel like, or maybe it was her lust for him manifesting in a different way. Despite her uncertainty surrounding the significance of this new feeling, there was one thing Thalia was positive that it wasn't— love. Thalia knew love. It came hard and fast, sweeping her up in its currents and leaving her helpless and weak— vulnerable, even. This feeling had developed over time. It had crept up on her so slowly, she hadn't realized it was there until she was chest deep. It didn't leave her powerless. It made her willing to do anything, sacrifice anything, for the man in front of her, whose warm, calloused hands were guiding her to an unknown destination for the second time tonight.

He could be leading her to her doom, but she knew he wasn't, because she trusted him. She trusted him to lead her toward happiness and safety, toward a future where they could be together forever, no matter what Dinarzade and Muu tried to tell her. So many people in her life had betrayed her, but Sinbad never would. He would never leave her. He was the one person she could lower her walls for completely.

This kind of feeling could only be… the trust between best friends.

As they continued walking, the crowds died down and the guiding lanterns became few and far between. Thalia now found she could join Sinbad at his side and let go of his hand, preferring instead to cling to his arm. Towering mansions replaced the small apartments and shops that had lined the streets, and eventually, they arrived at the royal palace. Her hand tightened around his forearm apprehensively as they were greeted by a guard. Why were they here?

"Lord Sinbad, our king wishes for us to convey his congratulations on your courtship of Princess Thalia of Attica. All the preparations have been made, as you requested. Please allow me to escort you to the garden."

"Sin," she whispered as they began to follow the guard through the courtyard. "What are we doing here?"

He grinned at her mischievously. "King Rashid has generously agreed to let us use the royal gardens for our date tonight. What do you think? I'm pretty dependable, huh? Who else could do something like this?"

Thalia's steps became rigid and clunky. Sinbad had the audacity to request use of the king's private gardens, and somehow King Rashid had agreed. She shouldn't have been surprised at this point in their relationship, honestly, but…

"Tyrant," she hissed.

He shook his head. "You're the tyrant tonight, remember? I'm nothing but your humble servant, here to please you."

Thalia smelled the garden before she saw it. The lovely scent of jasmine drifted through the warm night air, and a soft breeze caressed her skin like the gentlest of kisses, carrying her forward, to where the guard was unlocking the gate to let them in. When the thick wooden door swung open, Thalia gasped. Thousands of candles and lamps littered the grounds, some floating on water like lilies, others nestled in shrubbery like birds.

Thalia left her date's side, stumbling forward onto a raised walkway and bending down to touch one of the dozens of pink lotuses sitting primly in the water. She'd never seen flowers so big. When she stood back up, Sinbad was there to greet her, sweeping her into his arms.

"King Rashid offered to provide music, but I wanted to spend tonight with you alone," he told her, his golden eyes searching hers. "You wouldn't kiss me if there were people watching, would you?"

"K- k- k- kiss?" Thalia stumbled backwards. In all her fantasies about Sinbad, had she ever dared to imagine kissing him? Kisses were for lovers… and they didn't love each other.

But her eyes locked on his full lips, and suddenly she was filled with a desire to know what they tasted like. She vaguely recalled hearing that jasmine was an aphrodisiac. If that were true, it might explain what she did next. Tentatively, she approached him once more, caressing his cheek with a gentle hand as his arms slid around her waist. She tilted her head toward him, parting her lips in invitation.

She wanted this. Her entire body was screaming for it. Her chest heaved and her stomach fluttered. Her knees trembled while her arms threatened to go limp.

"Let's kiss, then. A kiss between friends."

"A kiss between friends," he repeated through half-lidded eyes, leaning in until their lips were just a breath apart. He paused, bringing his hand up to brush a hair away from her lips, and unexpectedly, entirely against her will, her body began to tremble violently. Thalia had wanted that kiss. Her rape had been the last thing on her mind, but her body remembered, and it was terrified. Her knees buckled, and she collapsed dejectedly at his feet.

He sighed, squatting down to be with her. "I thought you might not be ready. That's okay. The fact that you tried means a lot."

"I really wanted to…" She was on the verge of tears. Why had her body reacted like that to something she had wanted so badly?

"Come on," he told her, offering his hand. "Lets go look at the rest of the garden."

Thalia nodded forlornly, accepting his help off the floor. He took her to the back of the garden, where a highly decorated blanket was spread out with two pillows and…

Thalia's eyes fixated on the food. It was Attican cuisine. Fish, lamb, lentils, fresh vegetables, bread and olive oil, and a honey-glazed pastry— her favorite food, baklava.

She had underestimated how thoughtful he could be. He came off as so self-centered at times, and then he did something like this for her. He'd either been planning this date for a long time, or he had managed to research Attican cuisine and find a chef who was able to prepare it and had done all this on a single day on top of his usual work load. She wasn't sure which would impress her more.

Of course, he had to have something for himself, she noted wryly as she sat down, picking up a goblet of dark-red liquid and swirling it around.

"I told them specifically no wine," he informed her as he settled himself on the other pillow. "Only grape juice for us tonight."

Thalia brought the cup to her lips, testing the juice. Sinbad wasn't lying. There was no alcohol in this. It was purely sweet and fruity, no taste of fermentation present.

She wanted to kiss him more than ever now. Instead, she helped herself to some of the food, melting with joy as the familiar flavors danced on her tongue, taking her back to her childhood. It hadn't been a very happy time for her, but she had once been unaware of that fact. Eating the food of her home country brought her back to those days when she didn't know she was miserable, when she'd believed she could do anything, even win her father's approval and her mother's love, even live up to her sister's radiance.

"Sin, I don't know what to say," she confessed between bites. "No one has ever done something like this for me before."

Sinbad shook his head, smiling as he held a goblet in his hands. "You don't have to say anything. You've deserved this and a lot more for a long time."

"I don't know how I'll ever return the favor," she told him, brushing her hair behind her ear. He'd made her so happy in a single night. How could she repay him? She could spend her lifetime trying to give him a fragment of what he'd given her.

"I do. You're going to have a good time tonight and boost my ego." He winked at her before taking a sip out of his cup.

As the night went on and their conversation became more flirtatious, she began to feel a buoy in her chest, a feeling of levity like that she'd experienced when she'd gotten drunk on beer.

"Are you sure there's no alcohol in this?" she giggled, pouring another glass for herself out of the ceramic jug. "I feel great."

"That," Sinbad announced, reclining on one elbow, "is the high you get from great company and good food."

She shook her head, a smile tugging at her lips. "I don't know, I just feel like… I need to tell you something, but I don't know what." She began to crawl over to him, pushing him onto his back and pinning him to the ground. "Lately, when we're together, I have this feeling like… I don't know how to explain it, Sin. It's like I'm always drunk."

He smiled from underneath her, bringing a hand up to play with her hair.

"I think I know how you feel, Thalia."

Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. She wanted to dance for him. She wanted to perform for him in the way she used to find so humiliating. She wanted him to see her body, to desire it. She wanted him to look at her the way they'd both looked at that dancer earlier.

… but this dress wouldn't do. It was too loose fitting. He wouldn't be able to see the way her body twisted. He wouldn't be able to tell what her legs were doing or how her hips swayed. She couldn't just strip in front of him either… but maybe there was something she could do.

Thalia allowed her shawl to fall from her shoulders.

"Close your eyes, Sin."

He chuckled. "Why?"

"Because I'm the tyrant tonight, remember?" she chided him, flicking the yellow tassel on his top. "That means you have to do what I say."

"And if I don't?" he challenged her, a mischievous grin splayed across his face.

"You should be asking what happens if you do," Thalia responded, tilting her head to the side flirtatiously and running a finger down his chest. "Because I have a treat for you."

* * *

Sinbad squeezed his eyes shut, reigning in his rapidly careening out of control imagination. Thalia had said she had a treat for him, and it had sounded insanely sexual, but he knew that couldn't be it. She hadn't even managed to kiss him earlier.

But then the sound of fabric landing on the ground met his ears, and he didn't know what to believe anymore. Thalia seemed to be in a _really_ good mood. Maybe she was wanting to try for more than a kiss this time.

He threw his forearm over his eyelids and slammed his other fist into the ground beneath him. He couldn't take the suspense anymore. He heard more rustling of fabric and held back a loud groan. What was she doing? This woman would be the death of him. What was taking her so long?

"Okay," she finally huffed. "I'm decent."

Had she been indecent? Was that why she hadn't let him look? He opened his eyes, and let out a shaky breath. Never had a sight so welcome greeted his eyes. Thalia had shed her white dress and expertly wrapped her teal shawl around her naked body, creating a makeshift mini-dress. Her sides were more exposed than they had been in that Heliohaptian tunic he loved so much, and this barely covered enough of her legs to be considered "decent".

He had no idea why she'd chosen to dress like this, but then she approached him, motioning for him to stand up. Sinbad obeyed, dumbstruck at this turn of events.

"I've never danced for you before, have I?" she asked him shyly, her eyes flickering with a sultry quality he'd never seen before. As soon as she wandered within his reach, his hands wrapped around her waist, savoring the heat of her bare skin. He'd hesitated last time, but he didn't have time for fear anymore. This was his last night with her.

In response to his touch, she straightened her back, stumbling just slightly over the words she mumbled next.

"I- I wanted to show you… because you've never seen, but… I think you're the only one I've ever wanted to see."

She'd told him a hundred times how humiliating the kind of dancing she did in the theaters and colosseums was for her, and now she was telling him she wanted him to see. She wanted him to see her like this, out of her flowing dresses, and in something tight and revealing. She wanted to share, of her own volition, the thing that had been exploited by Lady Maader for so many years against her will— her sexuality.

Sinbad had never felt such pride at having a beautiful woman dance for him, but this wasn't just a dance for Thalia. This was her way of taking back her power, taking back control of one of the most complicated and intimate areas of her life.

"Show me," he encouraged her.

She nodded, bringing her arms above her head and swaying her hips, making her muscles ripple underneath his palms. Slowly, she brought her hands down, running them down her neck, tugging the fabric that covered her chest down ever so slightly. It was a simple gesture, but it titillated his imagination. He'd seen a glimpse of what was underneath in Heliohapt, but a glimpse wasn't nearly enough to sate him.

Her hands continued to slide down until they reached his wrists, grabbing him and tugging him along with her as she worked her way backwards, her feet carrying her with confidence. Every step had a kind of controlled power, carried out with intent and precision.

Her entire body worked in harmony to create this beautiful, sensuous dance just for him. He was the only one she wanted to see this, and he was grateful because he understood how she had drawn crowds with this. It felt like a promise that she would fulfill his every desire. He could have her. She was surrendering to him.

Suddenly, her feet stopped carrying her backwards, but she didn't stop pulling him toward her. Instead, she tugged his body against her own. She stilled, all except for her hands, which reached out to cup his face. She looked into his eyes with a fierce determination and self-assurance he'd only rarely seen her display.

"Kiss me, and this time don't stop— even if I start to shake, even if you have to help me stand up." She tangled one hand in his ponytail, tugging it slightly.

"Is that really what you want?" he asked, searching for any hesitation in her words. He was worried she would freeze up and be unable to tell him to stop if he was too forceful.

"I've never wanted anything so badly in my life," she told him firmly.

 _In that case…_

His mouth approached hers slowly, tenderly, as he stroked her temple with his thumb. He paused just before they touched, waiting for the trembling to start. This time, it didn't.

He wouldn't hesitate anymore. This was his only chance to be with her.

When their lips met, it was like nothing he'd ever experienced. It wasn't what he was doing for once that he gained pleasure from— it was Thalia herself. Her lips tasted of honey and flesh, and he lost himself in her, finding he was utterly in her thrall despite the clumsiness of her kisses. This beautiful girl had been unattainable for so long. He'd tortured himself over her, wanting her but always holding back. Now, she had come to him. She had asked for this, and he was beyond happy to oblige.

The longer their kiss drew on, the hungrier and more demanding his lips became. He'd been wrong when he'd thought he'd become less dependant on her. He hadn't. He needed her now more than he'd ever needed anything in his life, and she needed him too. He could feel in in the way she responded to his increasingly rough kisses with sweet moans.

How could this be wrong? How could they be anything but meant for one another? What kind of cruel world would put Thalia in his path and expect him not to want her?

Her very exposed legs wrapped around his waist, and he supported her until his own limbs were ready to give out. Lowering the two of them to the ground, he let Thalia sit on top of his stomach, her thighs spreading over his shirt.

His tongue pushed its way into her mouth, and she paused for a moment, pulling away.

"What was that?" she panted.

He started to laugh, thinking she was joking. Then he remembered this was the same girl that had taken the term "lady killer" literally. She really didn't have any experience with any of this.

"Thalia, that's one of the ways people kiss each other." he answered her, his voice strained with amusement. "They use their tongues."

"Why?" She raised an eyebrow as though he'd just told her the strangest thing she'd heard in her entire life.

He chuckled, flipping her over so that he was on top now. He'd let Thalia be tyrant for long enough. It was his turn. "Because it feels good. Here, I'll show you."

He leaned down and kissed her again, pinning one of her wrists to the ground. This time, when he used his tongue, she responded tentatively at first, then enthusiastically, moaning into his lips with a quiet, seductive sound.

 _Exactly how far is she willing to go?_ he wondered silently, his free hand sliding up her stomach to cup her breast.

"Sin," The soberness in her voice stopped him in his tracks. She moved to sit up, and he let her, pulling her against his side. "I've been wanting to ask you something for a while now, but I've been too afraid to ask. Tonight has made me feel confident in my decision."

The smile she gave him was the most radiant one he'd ever seen her make, and something about it made Sinbad uneasy.

"I don't want you to be my ally anymore," she told him, taking his hands into her own as her eyes glimmered with adoration.

He stilled, tugging his hands out of her grip. He was going to cut her out of his life, but she could still remain part of the Seven Seas Alliance. He'd never intended on going back on that promise. Had she lost her mind?

"You're leaving the Seven Seas Alliance?" He asked quizzically. "I'm afraid it's not going to be so easy to break ties with me. How exactly do you plan on fending off Parthevia and Reim without support from the alliance? Your army might be able to take back Attica on its own, but holding on to it is going to be a different matter."

"I don't want to break ties with you, Sin," she corrected him, reaching for his hands again. "It's the opposite. I want to make you king of Attica."

Sinbad froze, his mouth running dry. Was she about to ask him to marry her? Who had put it into her head that this was a good idea?

On second thought, she had probably thought of it on her own. She was naive, in love with him, and she _had_ discussed looking for a husband before. Nothing about this should have been a surprise to him. Now, he wasn't able to marry her even if he'd wanted to. He realized they didn't belong together, that he was the cause of her falling into depravity. He couldn't be in her life in any capacity other than a professional one.

He opened his mouth to stop her, but she cut him off.

"Before you reject me, hear me out. Attica isn't like Parthevia. You don't need a pedigree to be king. The only thing you need is to marry the princess. If you marry me, you'll be a legitimate king with all of the authority of one. "

He stared at her incredulously. "Thalia, you can't just—"

"It's solely a political arrangement," she continued, willfully ignoring him. "Of course, we would have to…" her cheeks grew that shade of pink he adored and she pulled her hands into her lap, fiddling with her fingers. "I would have to provide you with an heir, but tonight was wonderful. I never thought I'd be able to be with someone like this, but you… if it's you, I can do it. I can do anything, Sin."

She looked back into his eyes, and he saw what Dinarzade had been talking about. She'd fallen hard. She would do anything for him, even throw away her destiny, but he wouldn't let her.

"I can't accept your offer, Thalia."

Her face, which had been so filled with hope and adoration, crumpled with despair, her shoulders slumping. She hadn't expected this. She hadn't expected rejection. She got on her knees, clinging to his shirt desperately.

"Sin, please," she begged. "I'm a screw up. I've failed my country at every turn. No matter how hard I try, I'll never live up to the great leader my country deserves, but you? You're amazing. I've seen the way you managed to build up your company from scratch, how you've overcome every adversity. You don't just raise yourself up. You raise everyone else up with you, and I really admire that about you. That's why it has to be you. My people deserve a leader like you."

Thalia really did think he could solve all her problems. Didn't she know she was strong enough on her own? Her bravery tonight hadn't been his doing. She was the one that had wanted to try kissing again even after she had failed the first time. She was the one that had danced for him, however briefly, even though her dance had been a source of pain in her life for so long. She deserved the credit for all of it, not him.

"Thalia, listen to me. You're not a screw up; you're just inexperienced. I've made mistakes too." _...like not realizing how much pain you were in sooner._ "But we grow and learn. You can do that on your own. Without me."

Thalia was quiet for a moment, returning her hands to her lap, and he thought maybe she was considering what he'd said, but then she spoke. "When you told me about your dream, I thought you were an idiot. What kind of guy just wakes up one day and decides he's going to build his own country?"

Sinbad sighed, recognizing what she was doing. This was what she did when she was hurt. She lashed out. She was trying to strike where she believed he was most vulnerable, and she knew nothing was more important to him than founding a country.

"But I saw it in your eyes, Sin. If anyone can do something like that, it's you." She gazed directly at him, her starry-eyed faith replaced with down-to-earth confidence. "I realized in that moment that I wanted to follow you. I wanted drop everything to make your impossible dream come true like the rest of your friends have. I'd never had a dream of my own, but I finally found something _I_ wanted. No one else told me I had to do it. I came to that conclusion on my own."

He swallowed, staring at the tragic girl confiding her clandestine hopes to him. Maybe she hadn't been trying to hurt him after all. Maybe she was just trying to be honest.

Thalia looked away from him, gripping the fabric of her makeshift dress until her knuckles turned white.

"Then you called me 'princess', and I remembered what I had to do. I had a duty to my people. I needed to save them. The _only_ reason I was born was to serve them." She shook her head, tearing up. "Still, I thought that if I could just make you king… you would be happy… they would be happy… and for once in my life, _I_ would be happy too. I could follow my dream _and_ fulfill my duty. I could have everything."

For the briefest of moments, her words tempted him. He forgot about his own plans for his life and imagined himself as Attica's king. Maybe he didn't need to build his country from scratch. Maybe he could revive Thalia's suffering kingdom, fix its economy, and reform its archaic rules. He was capable of that, wasn't he?

The real draw for him, though, was the pretty girl next to him. He would be busy as king, but perhaps in the evenings, he could make time dote on his lovely wife, the same way his father had doted on his mother. Maybe they would even have a child together— not anytime soon, but eventually. He imagined Thalia cradling a baby with purple hair and dark eyes, and suddenly he was struck in the chest with a fierce burning, a desire to sacrifice anything, even his principles, to protect his family. He would even go to war to protect them.

Comprehension washed over him like a bucket of cold water, waking him from his impossible daydream. He could not marry Thalia. He'd always feared starting a family would become a distraction from his goal and now he was certain. Thalia would always have to take a backseat to his country.

"I can't marry you, Thalia."

"But—" She started to argue, and he had known she would. She never knew when to give up. Oftentimes, he found that trait admirable, but tonight, just for once, he wished she wouldn't put up a fight. This was hard enough already.

Sinbad watched the first of her tears fall and knew it was time to break things off completely. She was already in pain. There would be no salvaging the rest night.

"Thalia…" He hesitated, attempting to let her down easily. "I care about you a lot, but we can't do this anymore. We can't be lovers…" He drew in a sharp breath, bracing himself for what came next. "We can't even be friends. We have no future together. This is the last night I'm going to spend with you. I hope you'll remember it as fondly as I will."

The strangled sound that left her throat as she slumped forward, clutching her chest, was heartbreaking. Sinbad had never heard anything like it. It was as though every single hope she'd had for her future had exited her body at once.

"You don't… mean that. Dinarzade talked to you, didn't she?" Thalia clung to his jacket, trying to force him to look her in the eye. He couldn't. "Dina is just jealous. She misses her parents, so she thinks if you and I start dating, she'll lose me too and—"

Sinbad shook his head. "Dinarzade did talk to me, but this is my own decision. I see it too, Thalia. I'm holding you back. You don't believe in yourself anymore. You want me to fix your life, but only you can do that."

"Then… we won't get married," she cried, tugging at his arm, still trying to force him to make eye-contact. "I'll stay single forever, and I'll rule Attica by myself! I'll show you how much I don't need you! We can visit each other, and—"

"It won't work." He pulled at his hair. "Believe me, Thalia. I thought about the same thing, but how close do you think Sindria and Attica will be? Is there any viable land near Attica that isn't under Parthevia's control? How many months do you plan to spend traveling in a year? It's not just impractical. It's _irresponsible._ "

"Then I won't be a queen at all," she shouted, giving his arm one last tug. "I'll abandon my people! I'll abandon everything! Just let me stay by your side, Sin! Don't do this! Don't betray me too…"

Sinbad finally met Thalia's gaze. The girl he knew would never say that. Even moments ago, she had seemed to understand that her duty was to her people. When had she gotten this bad?

"I'm doing this for your own good."

Thalia finally let go of his arm. "I see."

Sinbad had expected a lot of reactions from Thalia— tears, maybe even some screaming. What he hadn't expected was the absolute scorn that smoldered in her dark eyes, the ones that had always looked at him with such affection.

"Close your eyes," she demanded.

He hesitated, holding back the urge to beg for forgiveness. Nothing he'd said was a lie, but he couldn't stand to lose her unwavering affection.

"Close your eyes!" she repeated furiously. Sinbad obeyed, every sob assaulting his ears as the rustling of fabric told him she was getting dressed.

Sinbad began to realize just how vulnerable Thalia had made herself tonight. She'd bared her body and her dreams— even hinted at her feelings… and he'd crushed her. Maybe it even seemed like he'd tried to seduce her into a one night stand and had planned to abandon her after he'd had his way with her. She might not ever forgive him, but… maybe that was a good thing. Maybe she wouldn't want anything to do with him anymore. As long as she got her life back on track, all of this would be worth it.

"I'm going back first," she spat, charging past him toward the exit. Just before she reached the gate, she paused, spinning around and standing up tall. "My whole life… people have been taking away my choices, making my decisions for me and telling me it's for my own good… I never thought you'd be one of them."

Sinbad buried his head between his legs as the girl he liked, his best friend, slammed the garden's door shut behind her.

"I'm sorry…" He whispered the apology he couldn't give her to her face. He'd seen a glimpse of what depravity was like when he'd rescued Ja'far. It was barren, desolate, filled with self-loathing and pain. He couldn't let her fall. He'd been the one dragging her away from her destiny, so he would take responsibility. She could hate him all she wanted.

Sinbad was certain he was setting her back on the path of her own fate… why was he so uneasy?


	39. What Thalia Must Do

I apologize for this chapter being late. I had a bit of writer's block, but I powered through it. I expect the next few chapters will be difficult to write as well, but I'll try to get them up within a reasonable time. Please leave a review if you enjoyed the chapter!

* * *

 _Bang, bang, bang._

Thalia pounded on a familiar wooden door, wiping the tears from her stinging eyes. Earlier this evening, everything had been perfect. Sinbad had kissed her, and parts of her that had long been dead had sparked back to life. He'd flooded her with affection, filling her with that wonderful warmth until her fears, all her doubts, all her reservations had been replaced with one word.

 _Love._

That drunk feeling, that warm feeling, all of the strange, pleasant sensations he stirred within her had been love, she'd thought. That was what she'd wanted to tell him tonight, the thing that had been on the tip of her tongue that she couldn't quite reach.

Until the kiss, she'd been so terrified of falling for another Serendine, but when she realized it was Sinbad she had fallen for, she was okay with it. He was safe. He would _never_ betray her.

Maybe she'd even foolishly believed he'd loved her too.

She'd been wrong about all of it. He didn't love her. He wasn't safe. He _had_ betrayed her, and shouldn't she have known that would be the case? Every small shard of happiness she found eventually cut her, leaving her bleeding and tattered.

Muu Alexius cracked open the door, rubbing his eyes and wearing a white, knee-length robe. "Parsine? Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Late," she responded tersely, her voice cracking.

Frowning, he seemed to register her wet face and puffy eyes. "Have you been crying?"

"Does it matter?" She attempted to shove her way past him, afraid he would close the door and shut her out, but he was an immovable mountain.

"Is something wrong?" he asked her, grabbing her by the shoulders and holding her at a more comfortable distance. "What's going on?"

"I wanted to talk about Thalia more," she told him. She would say just about anything to keep him from slamming the door on her right now. Of all her friends, Dinarzade had betrayed her and the others were loyal to Sinbad. She had no one to turn to except this weird guy who wanted to be her destiny so badly he was willing to follow her to Kou. Didn't he know it was pointless? Didn't he know she didn't want him?

"Muu..." she sighed as he allowed her past him to enter the room. "What would happen if you didn't get along with Thalia? What if I told you she's a real bitch?"

Thalia settled in her chair from earlier that day, hugging one knee to her chest and resting her head on it, watching him with curiosity. How would he react if she shattered his illusion of his perfect, demure Thalia? What would he do if he knew the real her?

"I'm certain that's not the case," he assured her stubbornly, situating himself in his own chair. "Everything I've been told about her indicates she's a proper lady.

"Really?" Thalia lifted her head up. "Because I can tell you differently. She's a liar. She'll lie about anything— how she's feeling, what she wants, who she is… How can you have a relationship with someone you can't trust?"

"If she lies, she's probably just protecting herself." He rested his chin tiredly on his hand. "Once she feels safe, I'm sure she'll open up."

Thalia nodded thoughtfully. This guy thought he knew her so well. How could he be so sure? What did he know about her? He didn't even know her real name.

She gave him a deceptively warm smile. "I lied too. She and my boss… they were romantically involved. She adored him—"

"I thought you said you weren't close."

Thalia ignored him, barely hanging on to her composure as she continued her rant. "—but she lied, lied, _lied_ until she turned blue in the face because she was afraid, like you said. She even lied to herself. Then, she let him take her on one date, and she let go of her fear. She let him kiss her and she couldn't lie to herself anymore. She loved him. She loved him more than she loved herself, more than she loved the people she was supposed to protect."

Muu straightened in his chair. "How exactly do you know all this?"

"You know why she left?" she asked him, fighting off tremors. "He _betrayed_ her, just like everyone else in her life. She betrayed you too, didn't she? She was supposed to be _your_ soulmate, but she coveted a different life, one without you in it."

She stood up from her chair, approaching him somberly. When she reached him, she leaned forward, delicately tilting his face toward hers with her fingertips. She studied the kindness and cleverness reflected in his stunned red eyes. He had so much potential, and he was ready to waste it on her.

"Parsine, what's gotten into you?" he finally collected himself enough to demand, pushing her hand away. She let it fall limply to her side.

This boy had come here with no idea what he was getting into. That magi had sentenced him to a life with a useless, spiteful princess. Thalia would never love him. She would never love anyone again. He wanted a fairytale soulmate, someone he could fall in love with at first sight. She would never be able to give him anything but the cold, bitter remains of a heart rent into pieces two times over.

"We were both betrayed tonight, Muu. Forget about Thalia. You deserve better."

"Tonight?" he asked incredulously. "This happened tonight? I thought you said she was in Kou."

Thalia nodded solemnly, making her way back to her chair. Maybe she had toyed with him enough. Maybe it was time to let him know who she really was.

"You see, I'm a liar too." She gave him a small, sad smile. "At first, I lied to protect her, because I was afraid you were someone else. Then I lied because I wanted to find out about this sword dancing thing, but now that I think about it, that was always kind of silly. I think the truth is I'm intrigued by you, Muu. I didn't want to admit I was a liar because I don't want you to hate me."

"Of course I wouldn't hate you over something so trivial." His voice was soothing and sincere.

"No…" Thalia wiped a fresh tear from her cheek, her voice coming out stuffy. "You wouldn't, would you?"

She suddenly knew with a certainty she couldn't explain that he hadn't lied to her, not once. Whether she wanted him or not, whether he deserved better or not, this boy was her destiny.

She pushed her hair away from her face, straightening her posture. "Even though you sound insane when you say we're soulmates, I can feel what you're talking about. I think someone like you is supposed to be in my life. Please allow me to introduce myself honestly this time."

She saw the pieces clicking into place for him before she even moved to leave her chair. For the briefest of moments, disappointment flashed across his face. He hid it quickly, but not quickly enough to spare her pride. She'd expected as much. He'd built up an image of Thalia in his head that Parsine could never match. He'd wanted a princess who lived up to his fantasies, not the tearstained mess before him. Nevertheless, she raised herself up regally, channeling a lost part of her— the haughty princess.

"I am the daughter of King Hypatos and Queen Simay of the Kingdom of Attica, Princess Thalia Alexandris."

He rose from his chair dutifully, bowing his head. "Princess, please forgive me for not recognizing you sooner."

"Lift your head," she pleaded. "No one bows to me, not anymore."

He obeyed, looking her in the eye. "To be honest, I was already aware that your situation was complicated. Lady Scheherazade warned me there was someone in your life— she called him a singularity. She said he was pulling you away from your destiny."

Thalia blinked. What he was saying was so similar to what Dinarzade had tried to tell her. Was Dinarzade a magi too? No, that couldn't be right. There were only three magis in the world: Judar, this Scheherazade, and the third one was supposed to be a man. Then, had Dinarzade talked to Scheherazade? When? Suddenly, nothing made sense, and the harder she tried to understand what was happening, the more the room started to spin.

"Princess Thalia?" Muu was already closing the distance between them, ready to catch her if she fell. Her knees gave way, but sturdy, reliable hands wrapped themselves around her shoulders, helping her remain upright.

Thalia allowed Muu to pull her against his chest. He really _was_ safe. She could sense he wasn't going to pull the carpet out from under her. One way or another, he he'd always been going to find his way into her life to provide her with the stability she needed.

Serendine had been a river that swept Thalia up in its current, while Sinbad had been an ocean whose tide crept up on her, but this boy was the ground beneath her feet. Rivers flooded, oceans raged, but land was constant.

Muu gently helped her back into her seat. "I understand that the events of tonight must have upset you, but I think in time you'll come to realize all of this has been for the best," he told her sympathetically. "You can't abandon your destiny, Thalia."

"You're saying I have to marry you," she muttered, fiddling anxiously with the silver ring on her middle finger. She didn't intend to take the ring off. Part of her still wanted to cling to Sinbad's memory, even if she couldn't have him. She would never completely let go of him, and that's why the idea of marrying Muu felt like a betrayal— to Sinbad, to herself, and to this kind boy in front of her.

He shook his head, giving her a friendly smile. "Don't worry about that right now. When you're ready to think it over, we'll discuss it. Until then, forget I ever brought it up."

Thalia sighed, relieved he wasn't going to press the matter of marriage. Even if he was her soulmate, even if she was supposed to marry him, she just wasn't ready to accept it. For months now, she'd had her heart set on one person, and it wasn't him.

"I think… I want to try ruling Attica by myself," she told Muu, refusing to meet his eyes. "I'm not sure if my people will accept me, but tonight I almost surrendered my responsibility to them for the chance to be with someone. I need to atone for that and a lot more. I need to become a strong leader and not allow myself to rely on someone else."

Muu nodded. "That's a good short-term plan. You'll have my support if you ask for it, but how do you plan on taking Attica back on your own?"

Thalia slumped down in her seat. If she told him she was going to try to capture a dungeon, he would surely object. He might even try to stop her.

"Don't' worry about it. I have a plan."

Muu knelt next to her, taking her hand. "You've been away from your country for so long. I'm worried you don't have a full grasp of the situation. There are rumors of political purges and horrible abuses—"

"I don't care about rumors." Thalia stood up, withdrawing her hand from his grasp. He was right. She'd been away far too long. She needed to go see the state of her people herself. She'd been worried about marriage and building an army, but not once had she considered the fact that she needed to know exactly what she was fighting against. "Thank you, Muu. I know what I have to do now."

He stared at her blankly. "What would that be?"

* * *

Sinbad jumped as someone slammed a piece of paper onto his desk.

"You take Thalia on one date, and the next day she asks to resign," Ja'far lamented. When Sinbad looked up, his friend was rubbing his temple. "Did you do something, Sin? Is she avoiding you?"

 _Probably._

Sinbad slid the piece of paper toward him, searching it for a clue as to her sudden desire to quit. All she had written down was "personal reasons." There was no explanation, nothing but the glaring implication that he'd hurt her so badly she couldn't bare to even be in the same building as him.

"Look," Ja'far said tentatively. "I don't know what you and Dinarzade talked about yesterday or what happened last night, but Thalia's indispensable to the company. Whatever happened between the two of you, go find her and talk it out." He paused, scratching the back of his head. "Besides, even if I have reservations about your relationship… I still want to see you happy."

Sinbad pushed himself up from his desk, crumpling the resignation slip in his hand. He had faced djinn and villains alike, but few things terrified him more than talking to the girl whose heart he had broken.

Ja'far was right, though. Losing Thalia would be a huge hit, not only to the company, but the children she presided over. They'd already lost their parents and their mother figure. They looked up to her not as a boss, but an older sister.

He needed to talk to her.

"I'm going to go find her," Sinbad muttered, heading out of his office.

As he closed the door, he heard his friend grumble, "Really, this is why you shouldn't date your employees."

The walk to Thalia's office had never seemed so long. Guilt and regret gnawed away at his conscience with every step. He could go through the motions of letting her go because it was what was best for her, but he couldn't lie to himself. He still wanted her.

When he entered the room in which the child employees worked, his eyes moved past the dozens of desks of diligently working kids to the sixteen year-old girl in the back, who was hunched over a stack of papers, scribbling away furiously.

Suddenly, his mouth went dry. He had no idea what to say to her. If breaking things off was the right thing, why did looking at her now bring such a powerful ache to his chest? Did she feel the same way? He still wanted to apologize, to explain until she understood how much he hadn't wanted to hurt her. Could she ever forgive him? Did he even deserve that?

He swallowed his guilt and crossed the room, placing the crumpled resignation on her desk. "We need to talk."

When she looked up, her face was placid, but the deep circles under her eyes and her general state of disarray betrayed her. Lately, she'd been putting effort into her appearance, taking pride in her steadily improving ability to braid her own tresses. Today, though, her hair was parted haphazardly, hanging in limp waves over her shoulders.

"What can I help you with, Sir?"

He grimaced internally at the word "sir" as it dropped from her lips like a death knell for the intimacy they had shared. Holding back his desire to scold her for her formality, he pressed his lips together. He had no right to tell her to address him like a friend, not anymore.

"I'd like to speak with you outside, please." He gave her his friendliest smile.

Thalia's emotionless mask faltered as she glanced down at the wrinkled paper, then back up at his face. The color drained from her cheeks, and she averted her gaze to the floor.

Resting his hands on her desk, he leaned toward her. "Relax. I just want to talk."

"Sin, I—" Her voice cracked as she started an attempt to explain herself, her hands rushing to take his before she caught herself. That was when he noticed it— the silver ring he had given her. She hadn't taken it off. He knew it was selfish to want her not to move on, but he couldn't let go, not yet. He didn't want her to let go either, and seeing it there flooded him with relief.

"Let's take this somewhere else," he suggested quietly.

His former friend raised herself up from her chair, allowing herself to be ushered outside. When Sinbad closed the door behind them, he glanced at Thalia, whose eyes were still cast to the ground.

He sighed beleagueredly, wishing he were joking around with her instead of having this conversation. He'd give anything to hear her call him a tyrant right now.

Pushing his hair back, he began his apology. "Look, I know I was careless with your feelings. Be angry with me if you want, but those kids need you. " _I still need you. Please…_ "Stay for their sake, if nothing else."

Thalia slowly raised her head, finally looking at him. Her dark eyes glistened with unshed tears, and when she spoke, her voice was quiet. "They're not the only ones who need me."

It took him a moment to realize what she was talking about— but, of course, she was a princess. Which meant...

"It's time for me to go home, Sin. I'm going back to Attica."


	40. Inseparable

**Inseparable**

* * *

"No." He didn't even think about the word before it shot from his mouth. Thalia was talking about infiltrating a country where she would be a wanted criminal. If anyone found out who she was… He grabbed her by the shoulders.

She was so small in his grasp. She'd only been learning swordplay for a couple of months now. There was no way she was ready for something like this. Was she trying to throw her life away? He had always believed in her, in her ability to do things on her own, but this was too much. She didn't know her limits. Someone needed to reign her in or she could… she would…

 _No…_

He shook her, trying to make her see how flawed her plan was. "It's too dangerous. I refuse to give you time off for this."

"It doesn't matter," she reminded him. "I already quit."

Her hands tried to pry him away, but he held firm, swallowing the lump in his throat. His fault. This was his fault. If he hadn't listened to Dinarzade... if he'd continued to drag Thalia into depravity both of them would be happy, and she wouldn't be—

He let his arms fall limply to his sides. What was he thinking? Falling into depravity was the antithesis of happiness. He couldn't do that to her, not to the girl he'd grown to hold so dearly.

Thalia tenderly rubbed her arms with a pained expression. He hadn't realized he'd been gripping her so hard… or was she just that fragile?

She'd been in danger before, but he'd always been there to save her. He wasn't supposed to be in her life. If he kept inserting herself where he didn't belong, if he went with her, he was putting her in danger. If he let her go alone, she was putting herself in danger.

Could he let her do that?

"I'm going, and there's nothing you can do to stop me," she mumbled, staring at the ground.

The image of her hanging limply in a bandit's arms, a knife pressed against her neck, flashed into his mind. If something like that happened again, how would Thalia protect herself?

Thalia didn't fight back. She _couldn't._ Two months with Sharrkan hadn't changed that, Sinbad was sure.

His hands curled into fists as a dark impulse seized him. He hadn't needed to resort to underhanded methods to deal with someone in a long time, but to save her precious life, wouldn't it be worth it? He could stop her from leaving Balbadd. He could pay off every captain in the area not to let her board their ships. He could—

Her words from last night broke through his ruminations.

" _My whole life… people have been taking away my choices, making my decisions for me and telling me it's for my own good…"_

Sinbad did not want to be one of them, not any more than he already was.

"At least… take someone with you." He forced the words out, painful as they were.

Thalia let out a strangled laugh. "I don't suppose you'd be up for the job, would you?"

He averted his gaze, refusing to answer. She already knew what he was going to say. It was why she sounded so broken. It was why a tear was streaming down her cheek.

He wished he could kiss it away. He wished he could kiss all her pain away.

"It was worth a try." She tried to cover up her sob with a cough, but Sinbad knew her better than anyone. She couldn't fool him.

He ran his fingers through his scalp. If he couldn't go with her, the least he could do was send his most trusted companion with her, Ja'far. He was competent and intelligent. He was experienced in stealth missions. Most importantly, he wouldn't hesitate to kill if necessary. He would keep her alive.

The company could survive without him for… how long? How long did she plan to be gone? Forever? Could he afford to let Ja'far leave indefinitely?

The answer was yes. If it was for Thalia's sake, he could.

"Take Ja'far," Sinbad ordered. He wasn't going to be her boss much longer, but he would always be a tyrant if it meant protecting her.

To his relief, Thalia didn't put up a fight. She simply nodded solemnly, sniffling. Maybe she did understand how dangerous returning to Attica would be. Maybe she was more terrified than she let on.

Maybe he wasn't as good at spotting her lies as he liked to think.

"When are you leaving?" he asked quietly. Her miserable expression was too much for him. He wanted to reach out and pull her into a warm hug, but he couldn't. Instead, he crossed his arms in front of him.

"Two weeks. The morning after my final day."

Two weeks… two weeks and she would be gone.

"Sin…" As his name fell from her lips, delicate hands wrapped themselves around his arm. Her touch caused his muscles to tense; her voice made his breathing come ragged.

Memories of last night's kiss played in his head— those same hands tangled in his hair, those same lips… so clumsy, so eager.

"Damn it, Thalia…" He shook her off, taking a step back. She was going to drag him out of his resolve, and he wanted to let her, but he _couldn't_.

The beautiful girl before him pulled her arms to her chest, as though cradling something close to her heart. "It's only for a few weeks." Her voice was so weak it was almost inaudible. "When I return, I'll need a place to stay and a way to earn money." She chewed anxiously on her bottom lip before continuing. "All my friends are here too. It would be nice if—"

Sinbad struggled to hide the relief her words had brought him behind a tepid smile. "Of course you can come back. You'll always be welcome here."

He really couldn't let her go.

* * *

Thalia sat on her bed staring blankly at out the open window of her room. From here, she could see part of the sprawling expanse of her workplace. The walls were splendid sandstone and marble— ridiculously gaudy for a commercial building that functioned as a warehouse, but it was Sinbad's taste. He had helped design the building, and the echoes of him were visible in every corridor.

God, how she wanted to stay.

Instead, she packed simple white dresses in her traveling sack— two or three for the trip to Parthevia, where she would exchange them for something that would allow her to blend in with its commoners.

She cradled a folded bundle of off-white fabric, running her fingers over the green and black trim— her uniform. It was another one of his influences. This robe had been a substantial part of her wardrobe for months. She felt naked without it.

It was funny how she'd never realized how integral he'd become to her life. She had even wrapped a piece of him around herself every day without realizing it.

Gingerly, she placed the precious bundle in her bag. Now he was helping her blend into his home country with this robe designed to pay homage to it. The robe and the ring… they were all she had left of him.

A tear landed on the garment before Thalia hurriedly closed the bag, shoving it under the bed. She couldn't bear to look at the symbol of her imminent departure.

The whispering shuffle of footsteps alerted Thalia to the arrival of another presence. She turned her attention to the door, where Dinarzade was standing wordlessly, her sage eyes rimmed with red.

Thalia rose from the bed, righteous indignation coursing through her veins. This girl had planted her insane ideas in Sinbad's head, and now Thalia's only dream had been torn from her. Her own heart had been ripped out and stomped on.

"Thalia… You didn't come back last night. I thought…" The gentle girl buried her face in her hands. "I don't know what I thought."

Thalia slowly approached her friend, struggling to keep her expression neutral.

"You did this." her voice trembled under the weight of her own fury. "He's gone because of you. I was finally happy and you took that from me."

Dinarzade buried her face in her hands. "I had to, Thalia. The darkness—"

"You mean depravity?" Thalia raised her voice. "You're afraid I'm going to curse my destiny?" Dinarzade flinched, and Thalia realized she'd never yelled at the gentle girl before. No matter how furious Thalia was, the full force of her wrath wasn't something Dinarzade deserved. When Thalia spoke again, she was careful to moderate her volume. "At least it would be my choice."

"You don't mean that."

Thalia didn't respond. She wasn't sure if she meant it or not. She just knew she had nowhere to direct her anger. There wasn't anyone at fault, just some vague concept she couldn't wrap her head around— destiny. This was all because of destiny. She was being jerked around by destiny.

"You have a place in this world, Thalia." Dinarzade looked up, her forehead wrinkling sympathetically. "It's not with him."

Thalia backed into her bed, collapsing onto it and staring at the blank ceiling. As much as she hated to admit it…

"I believe you."

There was a soft patter of footsteps and the groaning of a mattress followed by a long silence. Thalia closed her eyes, trying to reason her rage into submission. Her friends had hurt her, but it was for the best. One day, she would look back on this and thank them. It was all… for her own good.

Thalia shifted in her bed until she was facing Dinarzade. For a moment, her former rival sniffled quietly, wiping tears from her cheeks. Guilt flooded Thalia's chest, making her breathing come heavy. She was always taking Dinarzade for granted, always underestimating her. Now, Thalia's disregard for the kind girl had finally done real damage. Eventually, Thalia would have to find the strength to apologize for doubting her friend. For now, all the prideful princess could do was humble herself.

"Hey, Dina…" Thalia's voice came out not much louder than Dinarzade's sniffles. "Is the darkness… gone?"

Apparently that had been the right thing to say. Dinarzade immediately perked up, a hint of her usual sunny smile returning to her lips.

"You're much brighter."

At least this heartbreak wouldn't be for nothing, Thalia told herself. Though, she wasn't sure she believed it. She closed her eyes, struggling to hold back a fresh wave of tears. Why would hearing that her rukh was returning to normal be so disappointing? Did she _want_ to fall into depravity? Ja'far had said it was a bad thing, but what if he was wrong? What if everyone was wrong?

She didn't vocalize her doubt. Instead, she said the word she knew Dinarzade wanted to hear.

"Good."

* * *

Thalia knew that when her friends saw her, they would have questions she didn't know how to answer. Her falling out with Sinbad was only the beginning of things she didn't want to discuss. She didn't know how to explain that she was going back to a place where she was wanted dead, or how to tell them she had quit instead of taking a vacation because she wasn't sure if she would come back alive. Still, Thalia was trying to turn over a new leaf and stop deceiving her friends. For that reason, instead of lying, she tried to hide.

She sent Dinarzade to cancel her lessons with Sharrkan, avoided areas where she knew her other friends would be, and took her meals safely on her bed. The plan had worked for all of two days before they started seeking her out. One by one, they had streamed into her dorm room, prying for information about why she'd quit, about why she hadn't been around lately, about why she kept dodging their questions.

They were invasive and frustratingly persistent, but it was what she hadn't known she needed. Even if she couldn't tell them the truth, their presence was welcome. This time, she didn't snap to try to chase them off. Instead, she redirected the conversation to them, what they liked, what their goals were. Focusing on someone else for a change was strangely calming. It distracted her from everything she was losing and the danger she was about to face.

Then, two weeks had passed. Thalia packed any remaining items, and prepared to say her goodbyes. The children had each given her a piece of candy and a tearful hug earlier in the day, but her friends had apparently intended to throw her a surprise farewell party. They'd made the mistake of telling Dinarzade, so naturally it was no longer a surprise.

Looking for a distraction, Thalia wandered to the meal hall before Dinarzade had come to get her. From the doorway, she could hear their rambunctious laughter, their cheerful jokes. She clutched the fabric of her dress in the spot where it covered her heart. She loved these people dearly. No matter what, she would come back to them. With Ja'far's help, she actually believed she would.

The laughter died down as the others noticed her watching them quietly.

"Hey, Thalia!" Hinahoho marched over and ushered her in. "This was supposed to be a surprise." He gestured to the spread of snacks laid out on the table before him. "What do ya think?"

"It's perfect."

Thalia glanced around the meal hall, taking in the small crowd of friends she'd made over the last months— Hinahoho, Rurumu, Mystras, Ja'far, Masrur, and Sharrkan. Of course, Drakon was there as well. Of all her friends, he was the only one who seemed to have figured out exactly where she was going. He watched her grimly, and she looked away.

The absence of her former best friend didn't escape her. In fact, it hung heavy in the air, dulling the joy this gesture had brought her.

"Listen," Hinahoho continued, scratching the back of his head. "I know you haven't been around long, but we're all going to miss you. Remember, if things don't work out wherever you're going, you can always come back, okay?"

She smiled warmly up at him. "I will. I promise."

Thalia would never forget any of these people.

One by one, she told them goodbye, basking in the warmth of Rurumu's motherly embrace, drying Mystras's theatrical tears, promising Sharrkan she would keep practicing with her shamshir, and assuring Masrur that she would stay safe. Sharrkan and Masrur each pulled out their knots, reminding her that she had promised they would always be inseparable.

She was still talking to the two young boys when a large, scaly hand landed on her shoulder. Thalia turned around to face Drakon. She had avoided one on one conversation all night, worried that he would make one last attempt at convincing her to stay and terrified that he might succeed. His fierce eyes burned down at her pointedly.

"Don't go."

Thalia glanced furtively at her other friends, who had busied themselves with one another, discussing company politics, all except Masrur and Sharrkan, who exchanged quiet glances.

"I'm not discussing this with you," Thalia hissed, turning back to Drakon. "It's already been decided."

"We can take this to the balcony or I can tell _everyone_ where it is you're going to find your 'allies.'" Drakon countered. "You have to at least give me a chance to reason you out of this stupidity."

Thalia took one last look at the eavesdropping boys and scowled. "Fine."

She followed Drakon outside onto one of the many balconies, tapping her foot impatiently as he closed the door behind him.

"You've already given me this lecture twice," she muttered as he approached her.

"Thalia, my brother is dangerous. If he finds out you're there, he _will_ kill you. Not even Ja'far can protect you if Barbarossa decides to do it himself."

"Yes, I know." Thalia folded her arms in front of her. "You've made me well aware of this fact. Though it strikes me as odd that you're more concerned about my safety there than you are here. May I remind you, _your friend_ , the one who _lives with us,_ slaughtered my family, not him."

Drakon shook his large head, bringing an exasperated palm to it. "Princess Serendine would never hurt you. What she did… I know how it affected you, but you were gone and—"

"—And that makes it _okay?_ "

"You disappeared. There was a lot of panic. You're not just Attica's princess, you're also a member of one of Parthevia's most powerful families. Your grandmother begged the emperor to go to war over your disappearance, but he refused. Then the accusations started, and—"

"What… accusations?" Thalia's voice caught when she spoke. This was the first she was hearing about any accusations. What kind? Against who?

Drakon glanced away guiltily. "I'm trying to protect you, Thalia. You've always been too soft. Don't ask questions." He returned his gaze to her. "Please."

"What accusations?" Thalia repeated her question, trembling. For years, she had struggled to make sense of a senseless situation, and now she was finally being presented with a clue, but Drakon insisted on keeping her in the dark. It wasn't fair. She _deserved_ answers.

Drakon sighed. "There were a lot."

"What accusations!" This time, she screamed, her voice tearing from her throat. Hot tears stung her eyes, and in the moment of silence that punctuated her demand for an answer, her chest heaved violently.

Drakon's response was quiet and cautious, as though he knew she were going to object. "You should really talk to Serendine. I wasn't there, so I don't know the whole of it."

Serendine… everything kept coming back to Serendine. The girl who'd betrayed Thalia, who'd murdered her parents, whose actions even Sinbad seemed to defend— Thalia didn't want to talk to Serendine. Whatever she had to say couldn't possibly justify her parents' murder, and Thalia didn't want to hear her try.

Even so, Thalia deserved answers, and it seemed there was only one person who would give them to her.

"I… I'll talk to her. Drakon, please take me to her."

"That won't be necessary." Serendine's voice resonated softly in the dark. From a dark corner of the balcony, she approached the two, her arms crossed.

Thalia took a step back. She hadn't realized Serendine was listening.

"What are you doing here?" she commanded.

"I come out here a lot." Serendine glanced out at ocean. "The sound of the waves helps me clear my head."

Thalia shot a hard look at Drakon. Had he known Serendine would be out here? Was this some kind of plot to get Thalia to forgive Serendine?

"This wasn't a set up," Serendine continued, as though she were reading Thalia's mind. "Only Saher and Tamira know I like to hang out here."

Thalia cautiously turned back to Serendine, shuffling toward Drakon until she was brushing up against his reassuringly hulking arm.

"Go on then," Thalia ordered. "Confess."

Serendine gave her a bitter smile. "Alright. I did it."


	41. Serendine's Confession

Just a brief recap of the changes I made to the last chapter: Drakon takes Thalia outside during her farewell party to try to convince her not to go to Attica and Thalia, after being denied answers once again, agrees to talk to Serendine. Serendine conveniently was hanging out alone in the dark sulking and overheard their conversation. She agrees to confess.

I almost forgot: huge CW for this chapter: discussions of child molestation, abuse, suicide, maybe some victim-blaming. Please take care of yourselves.

* * *

 _Shortly before the fall of Attica..._

Six months. Thalia had been missing for six full months as of yesterday, and Serendine still couldn't accept it. The bright girl with an interest in swordsmanship, the one who had brushed Serendine's hair and listened to her worries was gone. No one knew what had happened to her, but her mother had a theory, and she was determined that all of Parthevia know the injustices wrought upon her daughters.

Simay's ravings sounded like those of a madwoman. The most egregious was the story of the cat King Hypatos had granted to Kayra as a welcoming gift. For three years that cat had been Kayra's only friend. She wasn't allowed to leave the palace. She wasn't allowed to talk to anyone not in her step-father's employ. She wasn't allowed to do _anything._ Her only reprieve was when she and her mother made visits to her family in Parthevia.

According to Simay's accusations, one night, when Kayra was twelve, she'd been caught talking to one of the guards. He was older than her, but Simay said it had been an innocent interaction involving small talk, that nothing inappropriate had happened. King Hypatos had said he was going to dismiss the matter, but that night, when Kayra returned to her room, she had found the strangled corpse of the cat, her primary companion, on her pillow.

From then on, Kayra spent most of her time in Parthevia, only coming back to Attica to spend time with her little sister.

Simay never talked about what that monstrous man had done to her, but it was obvious to everyone old enough to remember the bright, sober girl he had married had somehow been snuffed out, resulting in the frantic, drunken disgrace infamous in the Parthevian courts, the Simay Serendine had grown up hearing about. This was the Simay whose erratic behavior her family was so tired of, they were already threatening to send her back to her abusive husband.

As Serendine marched through the halls of Parthevia's palace, she wondered how much of this Drakon knew. He was still away in the military academy, so probably not much. Serendine was fresh from the academy herself, but because she was a princess, she had been able to leave at will. She envied Junior at the moment. He was completely ignorant of the turmoil Thalia's disappearance had stirred up. Surely, if he knew, he would worry incessantly.

In the hall outside of Barbarossa's office, Serendine caught Kayra on her way out. Her lips were pulled into a satisfied grin, a strange expression for a grieving sister, to be sure. Still, Serendine supposed no one could grieve constantly. Kayra deserved some measure of happiness.

As soon as she spotted Serendine, Kayra paused, her expression sobering.

"Princess." Kayra curtsied briefly before standing back up.

"Kayra," Serendine acknowledged her with a nod. "I haven't seen you since…"

"Princess Serendine," Kayra interrupted. "May I speak to you for a moment?"

Serendine's first instinct was to rebuke Kayra for her impudence but thought better of it. Kayra's sister was missing. Now wasn't the time to scold her for minor rudeness.

"Of course," Serendine responded gently.

Kayra pursed her lips before beginning. "It is no secret that my sister adored you, so much so that it has become a subject of scandal within Attica."

"Scandal?" Serendine didn't understand. She knew Attican culture was strict about the mingling of the opposite sex, but she and Thalia were both girls. How could anyone question the nature of their relationship?

Kayra sighed, casting her eyes to the floor. "After you met, Thalia was so enamored with you that she brought up the idea of marriage to her father. Of course, even here, the idea of a marriage between women is unusual, but the Atticans are absolutely backward. She was severely punished." Kayra's fists tightened. "After that, she was never quite as… lively. You must have noticed."

Serendine's mouth went dry. "I have."

The Thalia that had been so keen to learn how to use a sword had politely declined opportunity after opportunity to so much as touch it ever since. She'd been reluctant to get into mischief, and several times Serendine had needed to calm down a hysterical panic after Thalia had given into temptation. Serendine had never known what to make of the sudden shift in her friend. Had she really been through something so horrific it had fundamentally changed her?

"The rumors you've heard…" Kayra's voice trembled slightly. "They're only a fraction of what that man has done. Thalia's been sheltered from much of it because she's so young. Even if she comes back, she won't be safe— not as long as that man is alive."

"You think her father would hurt her?" Serendine struggled to imagine someone so depraved.

"He already has, hasn't he?"

Serendine was silent. Kayra was right. Thalia was already damaged enough by this man.

"My sister is loyal to you." Kayra knelt before Serendine. "Will you do what is necessary to protect her?"

"I can't—" What could Serendine do? Kidnap Thalia and refuse to return her to her country? Kill Hypatos? "My father will never go to war over a single girl, not unless he was guaranteed victory."

"But if the opportunity arises," Kayra insisted, grabbing forcefully on Serendine's tunic, "would you do what it takes?"

"I-"

Serendine was cut off by the voice of the man she had come to visit— Lieutenant Barbarossa.

"Kayra, you should rest. You've done enough. Leave before you offend her highness." He briefly rested his hand on the kneeling noblewoman's shoulder, and her response was immediate. She stood, bowing gracefully.

"Forgive me," Kayra smiled demurely at Serendine, her desperation slipping away. "I have not been sleeping well as of late."

Serendine shook her head. "We're all worried. Please, you must be exhausted."

"Thank you." Kayra hurried off after her dismissal.

"It's more than just worry that has been keeping Kayra up," Barbarossa informed Serendine. "Please step into my office. This is not something to be discussed where we could be overheard."

Serendine followed Barbarossa into his office, securely shutting the door behind them.

"You may be aware that Kayra has spent the last few weeks in Attica, helping to conduct the search for her sister," Barbarossa said, positioning himself over a scroll on his desk, "but that was a cover. She was acting as a spy. This is what she recovered."

Unrolling the parchment, Barbarossa motioned for Serendine to take a look.

"What's that?" she asked, leaning over.

"These are Attica's defense strategies in the event of an invasion. Some of them are quite ingenious." He pointed to a recipe for one of Attica's most famous defensive weapons: fire that only became worse when doused with water. "With this, we can have our magicians find a way to counter their deadliest attacks."

Serendine shifted uncomfortably. This kind of information would be enough to almost guarantee victory against Attica. Was this enough to start a war? With Kayra's marriage in shambles, the marriage treaty was looking less and less like a deterrent.

"Curious," Barbarossa muttered. "It appears there are underground tunnels the royal family intends to use to evacuate in the event of an invasion."

"What are you going to do with this?" Serendine asked warily, folding her arms across her chest.

"We'll be invading, of course. I don't have the authority to make that call, but I have enough experience to know that war will be inevitable once I pass this into the hands of my superiors," Barbarossa told her. "I thought you would want to know first since your friend is affected."

"What happens if Thalia is found?" Serendine demanded. "What about her safety? She's as much Parthevian nobility as she is Attican. How does she fit into all this?"

Barbarossa shook his head sympathetically. "I hate to say it, but your little friend is probably dead. If she's not, she'll always be welcome here in Parthevia. As you said, she has our blood running in her veins."

Serendine shook her head firmly. "Even if her father has done terrible things, we can't treat the family of nobility like—"

"Princess, you've heard the rumors, but did you know there are things that have gone on in that palace so horrible that even Simay wouldn't dare publicize them?"

"What are you talking about?" Serendine demanded.

Barbarossa leaned forward and whispered something in Serendine's ear that curdled her stomach. When he pulled away, Serendine was silent for a moment, too disgusted to even breathe. The candlelight flickered in the room, casting looming shadows on the wall.

"Of course, there's always the chance that Thalia's status as a princess and his biological daughter will afford her some protection, but do you think that would stop a man so depraved?"

"There's no need to continue." Serendine didn't want to hear any more. She didn't even want to think about it. Hypatos had to die, and it would be by her own hand.

* * *

 _At Thalia's farewell party..._

"So that's how it was…" Drakon muttered, adjusting his hold on Thalia, whose legs had given out on her midway through Serendine's story.

"Yes," Serendine confessed. "I killed your father. The man was a monster and he deserved it."

Thalia shook her head, refusing to let Serendine's ridiculous story abate her anger.

"My father was a noble man," she growled through gritted teeth. "First you murder him, now you're slandering his name! _You're_ the monster, Serendine!"

"Why are you defending him?" Serendine shouted. "He hurt your sister! He hurt your mother! He even hurt you!"

"He never—"

"It's a lie then? He didn't lock you away in a temple for a week."

Thalia closed in on herself, anxiously twiddling her thumbs. "He was just…" She started to defend him but stopped herself. He was just what? Trying to protect the country at the expense of his own daughter? Did the fact that he thought Thalia might incur the wrath of a vengeful goddess make what he had done okay? "He was my father."

That was the only defense she could give him. He'd never shown her affection. The only kindness he'd ever afforded her was giving her as rigorous an education as he would have given a male heir. Nothing connected her to this man except blood. Her entire life, that one thing had always been enough for her. She had pride in her heritage, in her status, in her family. She'd believed that though they were imperfect, she's owed them some form of loyalty for bringing her into this world.

Thalia swallowed thickly, her throat aching. "You said… he did something like _that_ to Kayra?"

Thalia couldn't even say it out loud. It was the same thing Marcus had done to her, but for Kayra, she'd been even younger, even more powerless to stop it. It was why she rarely visited the palace. It was why she'd seemed to seethe every time she spoke of Thalia's father. It was why she'd always been reluctant to allow Thalia to return to that place, to him, the man who'd done something like that. Was Barbarossa the only one she'd ever told?

"He didn't deserve to die though," Thalia muttered, placing a hand on her forehead. "Did he? People needed him! Maybe he could have changed! People change all the time!"

Not once had Thalia wished death on Marcus. He'd done a horrible thing, but it was easier to just pretend it never happened and move on.

"Would it have mattered if he changed?" Drakon asked quietly. "Everyone else has to live with the consequences of his actions."

Serendine crossed her arms and looked off into the ocean. "I don't believe people like him can change anyway. Kayra deserved justice."

Thalia stared at her own hands. She'd never so much as thought to demand justice for her assault. Of course, she had been afraid of not being believed and wanted to move on with her life, but it was more than that, wasn't it? For the first time, she realized she hadn't fully accepted that what had happened to her was wrong. She didn't value herself enough for that. She was just a slave, a disappointment, and a failure. What right did she have to stir up trouble in Marcus's life? To disrupt his family and the people around him? To put them through the dilemma she was facing now?

But Kayra was different from Thalia. She'd always known her worth. Surely someone like her deserved justice, but did Thalia's father have to die for that? How many more people were now suffering because of his death? Hadn't Serendine just made things worse?

"What about my mother," Thalia demanded. "You said she was a victim too, so why did you kill her?"

Serendine cast her eyes to the ground. "I did want to save her. Your grandmother forced her to go back to your father, and when we invaded I was going to return her to Parthevia safely. When I got to her room, she was already dead. It was suicide."

 _Suicide…_ Thalia's mother had killed herself. She'd been so miserable, she'd finally given up. Thalia wondered if she hadn't run away, whether her mother would have suffered the same fate.

" _You look just like your father."_ That had been Simay's constant refrain, said with such disappointment and contempt, but Simay had seen herself in Thalia too, hadn't she? It was why she stuck up for Thalia when no one else would. Maybe if she could have looked past Thalia's face, she could have loved what she found there. Maybe Thalia could have given her some solace. It didn't seem right that Thalia would never have the chance to find out. She'd been robbed of her childhood.

Serendine continued, "Barbarossa said it would be better if people remembered her as dying valiantly beside her husband, so I took credit. I told the world I'd killed her. To your people, she's a beloved martyr. To mine, she's a defector with dignity. She'll go down in history as a true queen."

"Do you think she cares about that?" Thalia's eyes were stinging, hot tears dripping down her cheeks. "She's dead."

Taking a slow step forward, Serendine approached Thalia. Her voice was soft and gentle. "I thought _you_ might. Don't you see? I did everything to protect you. You've always been like a sister to me."

Thalia tried through bleary eyes to stare at the girl she'd once loved, Serendine. Every time Thalia had accused Serendine of being a heartless murderer, she'd accepted it with dignity. As Serendine's blurry form rubbed her eyes, Thalia finally allowed herself to regret. She should have talked to Serendine sooner. She should have listened when Serendine had said Thalia didn't know what she was talking about. She should have known better, but she hadn't.

"And you'll do anything to protect your family, won't you?" Thalia agreed. Drakon let her go, leaving her to face the girl she'd considered her enemy until just moments ago. Now they were inches apart. They could be friends again if Thalia wanted. Did Thalia want that?

"I knew you would hate me, but I was determined to accept it." Serendine's fingers, thick with calluses but surprisingly soft, wrapped around Thalia's hand. "I swore to myself I wouldn't complain, but I'm tired of acting like strangers. Aren't you?"

Thalia removed her hand from Serendine's grip.

"What about my sister?" Thalia asked in a subdued voice. At this point, she believed Serendine must have a reason for that too. Or maybe Thalia had been so stubbornly clinging to her narrative that Serendine was evil, she'd completely ignored what people had been trying to tell her. "She's not dead, is she?" Thalia shook her head and looked at Drakon. "The reason you've been reluctant to talk about her isn't that she's dead. It's because she's a traitor, isn't it?"

"Would you have accepted it if I had told you?" Drakon hung his head. "You've always been stubborn."

Thalia shook her head. She wouldn't have believed it, not when she was so intent on hating Serendine. When Thalia first heard about the death of her family— her parents, apparently— she'd needed something to blame. It had been so easy to paint her parents and sister as victims and blame everything on Serendine and Barbarossa. She'd spent so long believing it, investing her energy into hating the two, even when the facts began to hint at a more complex reality, she'd ignored them like a fool.

"Kayra is alive and staying in Parthevia," Serendine informed Thalia, her voice thick. "She's hailed as a hero. Why would you think she was dead?"

It was true, no one had ever specified which members of the royal family had died. Perhaps they had not included Kayra. She was, after all, Parthevian.

 _I'm sorry._ That was all Thalia had to say. She could forgive Serendine for the death of her father and acknowledge she'd treated the other princess unfairly since their reunion. They could be friends again. All this strife could be put to rest. Yet, when she opened her mouth, nothing came out. Serendine's country had still invaded her own, killed untold scores of citizens, and they had used Thalia as a rallying cry even when it was the furthest thing from what she would have wanted. Did Serendine's intentions change anything?

"You have your answers now," Drakon said solemnly. "Isn't that enough? Can't you stay?"

"It's not." Thalia was talking to him, but she was staring at Serendine. "I have to clean up my sister's mess since the person I would have hoped would stop it failed to."

Serendine looked away guiltily. Thalia wasn't sure what Serendine could have done: ripped up the parchment Kayra had stolen perhaps or burned it. She could have at least tried. Things could have been different.

"That place has never held anything but pain for you," Drakon reminded her gently. "I'm afraid when you go back, it will be more of the same. You've flourished here at the company. For you to give it up…"

He was right. In Attica, she'd always struggled to play the part of the good princess. She'd eventually managed to fool most people, but it had never made her happy. The only place she'd ever been able to be herself was here at the Sindrian Trading Company.

"I want to stay."

"Then stay," Drakon suggested, placing his massive hands on her shoulders.

Thalia shook her head. He didn't know that the longer she stayed here, the further away she drifted from her destiny. Maybe some people simply weren't meant to be happy.

"I can't."

When she and Drakon returned from the outside with Serendine in tow, the room fell silent. A good portion of the attendees had been present when Thalia had accused Serendine of murdering her entire family in cold blood, and the rest were certainly aware of the tension between their countries. Thalia wasn't sure what to say to explain the development that had just occurred and the sudden lack of hostility between them. She hadn't exactly made up with Serendine— no matter how good Serendine's reasons may have sounded, the results of her actions had still ruined Thalia's life. They certainly weren't friends again. Thalia was struggling to admit she'd been at least partially wrong about Serendine when the other princess spoke up.

"Anyway, sorry for crashing your party. I would have stayed away if I'd known."

Thalia squirmed uncomfortably trying to get her next words out. "I'm… glad we talked."

Glad may have been an overstatement. Relieved, perhaps. Finally getting answers after all this time had been cathartic, in a way. The two princesses bid each other goodnight, and Thalia mingled with the crowd, laughing at all the right moments, avoiding questions about what had just occurred outside. She wouldn't let them see the turmoil she was feeling inside— the fear, the confusion, the anger, the relief.

Eventually, Dinarzade showed up and scolded Thalia showing up to her surprise party early. Then, with final tearful goodbyes, she left them and grabbed her bag. Tonight, she would be staying with Muu, and first thing in the morning, a ship he had hired would take her, Muu, and Ja'far to Parthevia's capital. From there, Muu would stay behind while she and Ja'far traveled north to Attica.

But first, Thalia stood awkwardly in front of Sinbad's door. She knew he didn't want to see her. She knew she should give him space. She opened the door without knocking anyway. She needed to see him one last time before she left.

Inside his office, Sinbad was slumped over his bottle-laden desk, holding something and staring at it longingly. He glanced up and hurriedly tucked it into his jacket pocket, but not before Thalia saw it.

It was the knot she had given him.

Thalia swallowed thickly, choosing not to acknowledge it. He cared. Clearly, he cared. Had she ever doubted that?

"Can I… come in?" she asked timidly.

"Now's not a good time," he mumbled.

Thalia frowned, coming in anyway and clearing the bottles off his desk. There were only two, but they smelled strong.

"What happened to drinking responsibly?" she muttered under her breath.

"It's different for you. You're a girl."

"So?" She snatched a third bottle from his grip— where had he been stashing it? "What does that have to do with anything? Responsibility is a part of growing up for everyone, isn't it?"

He chuckled softly. "Maybe. Maybe I don't want to grow up. Maybe I just want to be irresponsible forever." He looked her directly in the eye. "Forget about the consequences."

Stumbling backward, Thalia cradled the confiscated bottle in one hand and tried to calm her racing heart with the other. It'd seemed like he was saying he still wanted her, that there was still hope. Of course, she wanted that. She wanted to forget the consequences too, to cast everything aside and find a way to be together. He could still marry her. She could still have her dream life if only he meant his words.

"You're drunk. Say that again when you're sober."

"You know I won't," he asserted. "I told you it was a bad time. Did you come to say goodbye?"

Thalia nodded. "I also wanted to tell you I talked to Serendine."

"And?"

"You were right. I should have come to you and resolved it privately," she begrudgingly confessed.

Sinbad stood up, swaying slightly. "Of course I was right. That's not what I meant. I wanted to know if you're okay."

Thalia gave him a weak smile. "You know, all things considered, I think I'm pretty okay."

"There you are." Ja'far's voice pulled her attention in the direction of the door she'd left ajar. "Are you ready to go, Thalia?"

She glanced back at Sinbad, who was slumping back down in his chair.

"Be safe," he commanded. "That's an order."

Following Ja'far out the door, she gave him one last glance. This would probably be the last conversation they had like this. She would have to cherish it.

* * *

A/N: So I had originally planned for Thalia's conversation with Serendine to happen later, but after a loooooot of thought, I decided this was the best place for it. Also, I've been compiling some information about Attica and I've posted a journal entry on Deviant Art (and a link through my tumblr under the tag courage). I know at least one of you was interested in making an OC who lives in Attica. Just be warned that some of it may hint at spoilers or answer things I plan to leave ambiguous in the fic itself. As I do more research, I'll continue updating.


	42. Weakness

As the sun dipped into the ocean, Thalia stood alone, basking in its beauty. The brilliant hues of the sky at sunset had always fascinated her, but today it was the golden tint of the sun that drew her focus; it reminded her of a pair of familiar eyes. Those eyes had warmed her, watched over her, protected her. Now they were gone, like the sun into the sea. She had to stand on her own now.

"You've been staring at nothing all day." Muu's message was delivered on the gentle breeze.

Thalia glanced back to find him approaching her, concern etched into his kind features. She silently turned her head back toward the water.

Of course he didn't understand. How could he? They barely knew each other. The two day journey to Csitephon hadn't changed that, nor had checking into a three bedroom suite with him and Ja'far at its finest inn. She leaned her weight forward on the sturdy railing of the balcony, accessible through their shared living area. She didn't owe him a response. He'd been the one who had insisted upon accompanying her this far. He wasn't the one she needed right now.

A stiff gust of ocean air ripped the heat away from her skin, causing her to release a pitiful shudder.

Muu's sigh came from beside her this time. "This is your first time doing anything like this, right? You must be terrified. If you decide you want me to come along my offer still stands."

He wasn't wrong. She was scared, and now that they were inside enemy territory, the danger felt more real than ever. She wanted to run to her best friend for comfort, to hide with him in their secret corner. Instead, she was here with Ja'far and Muu.

Thalia shook her head. "You won't exactly… blend in." Outside of her visits to Reim, Thalia had never seen a Fanalis. They didn't inhabit Parthevia in great numbers, and they certainly couldn't be found in Attica. Furthermore, the more greatly she indebted herself to him, the harder it would be to reject his offer of marriage. Even when she took back Attica, funds would likely be tight for decades. She would be repaying loans with loans until her war-torn country built its economy back up. There was nothing she could repay Muu with short of offering him a place by her side as her husband, and she wasn't willing to give him that. She would have to use any excuse to limit his involvement in this mission. "Besides, Ja'far will take good care of me."

She and Muu glanced back in the direction of the boy in question, who was sitting at a table studying a map.

"He's a child," Muu muttered skeptically. "Do you actually think he can protect you?"

"That 'child' is a former assassin," Thalia corrected him. "I've seen him fight. He's more competent than the typical Parthevian soldier."

Muu crossed his arms. "Even competent people make mistakes. What happens if he gets injured? When you told me you'd been studying the sword, you didn't make it sound like it was something you'd been doing for long. Are you capable of fighting your way out of a dire situation?"

"Yes," she lied.

Muu sighed, removing his sword from its sheath and holding it out to her. At first, Thalia thought he was offering it to her, but then a mark similar to the ones on Sinbad's metal vessels began to glow subtly near the base of the blade.

Thalia inhaled sharply. "That's a—"

"A metal vessel. Yes." He re-sheathed his sword. "In order to protect you, your country, and its relationship with Reim, Lady Scheherazade has made me into a king vessel. I'm here to serve you."

Thalia frowned. "This magi… she has some kind of use for Attica, doesn't she? One that will benefit Reim? That's why you're here, isn't it?"

"Her plan will benefit both our countries," Muu asserted. "Lady Scheherezade is wise and kind. I trust her judgment."

"Trust…" Thalia repeated the word bitterly. Trusting people had never led to anything but betrayal, yet she found herself doing it again and again. Trusting Lady Maader, trusting Nasha, trusting Sinbad, trusting Dinarzade. Now, against her better judgment, she found she could not keep her guard up around Muu. Something about him melted her cynicism away. If he told her the Magi was trustworthy, could she believe that?

No, she couldn't. Reim's sorceress had no reason to help her or her country. Still, her nursemaids had taught her when she was young that magi were wise and powerful, that they were good. A country with a Magi on its side was sure to prosper. Muu could give that to her. Muu could give her everything she needed. She could finally have a break from all the fear, all the anxiety. Finally, she was being given an opportunity to reclaim some measure of control. She didn't even have to love him. She just had to marry him.

The temptation lasted only for an instant, but the shame that followed hit her like a swift punch in the gut. It was more painful than any blow her kidnapper had dealt to her all those years ago, more painful than when she'd hit her head on the ship. It knocked the breath out of her, sending her into a strangled coughing fit. Muu's hands reached out to steady her, firm and large. They reminded her so much of his hands, but they weren't. They weren't accompanied by his familiar scent or easy smile. They didn't hold her with his hard-won intimacy.

The worst part was that she didn't hate it. She didn't shake Muu off or scream. Instead, she begrudgingly let the gentle pressure of his touch soothe her. Sinbad wasn't here, but she wasn't alone either. Muu had accompanied her this far and Ja'far would keep her safe. She could do this. She would do this because the only other option was to let her people continue to suffer, and if Sinbad was a distraction, she would lock him away, someplace deep inside herself. His presence in her life had made her strong, but she would not let his absence make her weak.

Standing up straight, she gave Muu a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about me. I'll be back in a week."

"I'll be waiting," he reminded her.

Thalia's smile slipped at the reminder of just how one-sided their current arrangement was. She continued to refuse to marry him, but he was still here by her side, helping her. Yet, she caught it on his face sometimes when he thought she wasn't looking— he was about as keen on the subject of the marriage as she was, maybe even less so. He didn't want to be with her. Maybe he had someone else as well, someone he wouldn't have to waste his resources trying to win over.

But of course, a magi had decided to make him a king. He was here because he was obediently pursuing someone he didn't love, and Thalia was selfishly letting him do it.

Taking his hand, she squeezed it gently, offering a silent promise to someday repay him for his all his trouble.

Ja'far cleared his throat from his seat at the table, drawing Thalia's attention toward him. Realizing his eyes were glued to her hand around Muu's, she jerked away, her cheeks burning with shame. If he misunderstood and word got back to Sinbad, he—

Pressing her lips together into a firm line, she pushed that petty worry to the side. "What is it, Ja'far?"

"I wanted to go over the plan one more time before we set out."

Thalia nodded, joining him at the table. There was no longer time for worrying about what was going to happen. It was now time for action.

* * *

A/N: This was a short chapter, but I assume after all this time you guys are just glad for an update. Thank you to everyone who favorited and followed during the hiatus. I was having a lot of anxiety about writing, but knowing that people like and care about this story encourages me to push through it. That being said, I apologize for any particularly egregious continuity errors. I want to go back and check on things I wrote before, but I get panicky when I do and don't absorb any of it. I know I've asked for constructive criticism in the past, but I'm now going to ask that you keep criticism, even constructive criticism, to a minimum until I get to a better place. I know I don't have a right to ask that, but it will help me feel comfortable continuing to publish. I won't be holding my writing to as high a standard as before for the time being, but I hope that it will continue to be enjoyable. Thanks again for reading!


	43. Home

**A/N: I retroactively added a chapter back in the Heliohapt arc. It's just expanding in a place I glossed over. It's not anything new, so it's not required reading or anything. Anyway, if you got a notification that there's a new chapter and got sent here, the NEW chapter is "Asena's Temple", which is now Chapter 44.**

* * *

Five years after running away, Thalia was finally coming home. Yet, even from here, under the cover of darkness and in a stolen fishing boat, she could tell it was not the same country she had fled. The island used to glow at night, the streets bustling with life long after the sun had set. From the water, shouts of revelry could be heard, perhaps accompanied by a band of instruments. Tonight, the glow was gone, and there was no shouting, laughter, or music to drift over the water. The only sound was the rhythmic splash of her and Ja'far's paddles into the dark, cold ocean.

"So this is… your home." Ja'far's voice was low, his gaze locked grimly upon the seawall.

Home. The place she belonged. It hadn't been Reim. It hadn't been Balbadd. It had been right here, awaiting her return.

"It is," she affirmed, her voice quivering as she struggled to keep the movements of her oar steady. Since leaving shore, a trembling had started in her chest and slowly spread out to her limbs, until her entire body was quaking. She wanted to turn back. Instead, she tried to distract herself, directing Ja'far's attention to a shadowy structure standing at the highest point on the island. "That's the temple of Asena."

"The palace should be nearby, right?"

Thalia nodded. "You can't see it from here. The view from my room was lovely. I could look out over the ocean and watch the ships sail by." She gave Ja'far a weak smile. "I wonder… if Attica hadn't fallen, do you think one of those would have belonged to the Sindria Trading Company?"

"It's a strong possibility. Attican goods are extremely sought after among certain circles. It would have been a good investment." Ja'far kept his eyes trained on her carefully. If he hadn't noticed her shivering in the dark, he'd surely caught the waver in her voice. "Do you want to take a break?"

"No. Let's keep going." Thalia found that talking was easing her nerves a bit, so she pressed on. "What about us? Do you think we'd have met?"

"I'd like to think so."

Thalia smiled warmly to herself. "Me too."

She didn't know what kind of person she would be without Ja'far and the others. They'd each taught her valuable lessons about patience, friendship, and trust. They'd helped shape her. Without them, she would have remained isolated and sheltered. Drakon and Serendine would have abandoned her years ago when they fled Parthevia. Would her mother have been happier if Thalia had stayed, or would she have succumbed to alcoholism and depression anyway? Would Thalia have ever gotten to know what her father was really like? This life, the one she was never supposed to have… was it better?

Thalia could have contemplated those questions all night and never come to an answer. She didn't have time for that though. She squinted, struggling in the dark to make out the thing she was looking for— the break in the sea wall.

Behind them, the island jutted sharply out of the sea, creating a natural defensive barrier between itself and Parthevia. The further they rowed, the more gently the island sloped downward. By now, the cliff would be low and gentle enough that even Thalia could scale it with a little help. Unfortunately for Thalia and Ja'far, the large walls built to prevent erosion and flooding were barring them access to land, but there were gaps lining the wall in regular intervals for drainage purposes.

She pointed to their target destination. "That's it. That's our way in."

Ja'far ceased his paddling and looked over his shoulder. "We should be quiet. There could be a sentry nearby."

Thalia nodded, taking care to minimize the noise she made with her paddle. When they reached the shore, they hid their small boat among the shrubbery.

Ja'far led the way up the small cliff, showing Thalia the best places for footing. When he reached the top, he paused to peak over, looking for signs of guards or other witnesses. Thalia clung stubbornly to her barely sufficient hold, the jagged edges of the rock digging into her skin. Then she heard the music, a loud trumpeting that was quickly approaching them. Thalia began to think it was a siren, that they'd been caught and she could either let go and plummet to her death or let them capture her here on this cliff, completely defenseless. Even Ja'far would struggle to fight them like this. Thalia held her breath, waiting for hundreds of guards to descend on them, but then the noise passed them, growing quiet once more.

Thalia couldn't hang on much longer. She was shaken from what she'd believed was a close call, and her arms were ready to give out on her. Just when she thought she couldn't go on, Ja'far moved. He first slid his pack through the narrow gap, then wriggled through himself. Thalia scrambled the rest of the way up, taking his outstretched hand and squeezing through the wall with great difficulty. Had she been any bigger, she wouldn't have fit. That was probably the only reason Parthevia hadn't bothered to close it— a grown man couldn't fit through here, much less a boat.

Exhausted and panting, Thalia let go of Ja'far's hand. She was still on her knees, close to the earth she'd been unable to tread for so long. She allowed her eyes to drift closed, running her fingers over the dirt pathway that had greeted them. The soil had a smell and texture to it that she'd never quite forgotten— silty and course like sand, the same as at the palace. She, clumsy princess as she was, had taken more tumbles into the ground than she'd cared to count. Sometimes, on the way to the temple, she'd taken her shoes off just to feel it between her toes.

Upon taking a deep breath, she dared to open her eyes and inspected her surroundings. She'd never been to this part of Attica as a child, but it was familiar nonetheless. The painted plaster exteriors of the buildings surrounding them lent an air of comforting familiarity, however run-down and damaged.

A single, joyful tear slipped from her cheek, mingling with the earth. She was home.

"So," Ja'far stood and slung his pack back over his shoulder. "Which way to the temple?"

Thalia shrugged, untying the cord she'd been using to hold up the skirt of her peplos and letting it fall modestly to her ankles. "Who knows? This place is like a labyrinth."

"You really have no idea?" Ja'far sighed heavily. "Good thing I brought the map." He rustled around in the bag and pulled out a folded sheet of parchment, handing it to Thalia. Next, she averted her eyes as he ditched the pair of culturally inaccurate pants he'd been wearing until now, leaving him in a knee-length tunic.

"We just have to find the main road," she assured him, "After that, I can get us there." fishing her himation out of his bag, she wound the large scarf around her upper body. She made sure to cover her hair as well in order to obscure her identity as much as possible. In Reim or Balbadd, wearing a head covering this time of year could draw suspicion. Here in Attica, she would simply look like a particularly devout follower of the goddess.

Upon finishing her outfit change, Thalia bounded into the nearest alley for cover. When she turned around, she noticed Ja'far was refusing to meet her pace. She motioned impatiently for him to hurry up. She was buzzing with renewed energy, and he was holding her back.

"Slow down," he groused. "I'm not used to wearing a dress."

"It's a chiton," Thalia corrected him matter-of-factly, "Be grateful _you_ get to wear something so light. It gets hot during the day." She shifted uncomfortably under her shawl, already sweating underneath it. The sun was barely turning pink and she wanted to take it off. How had she lived like this before?

Ja'far finally joined her out in the alley street, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "No guards, no people… This is strange."

Thalia shrugged, pointing to a few latticed windows with dim lights. "Clearly people are living here. When I was a princess, I never woke up until close to noon. When I realized how early people in Reim and Balbadd wake up, I thought sleeping in must have been a privilege I received as a princess. Maybe it's not. Maybe all Atticans wake up late."

Ja'far shot her a withering glare. "It was definitely your privilege. People who work for a living can't afford to sleep all day."

Thalia bit her tongue, resisting the urge to give him a snarky response. She knew that. Of course she did. She'd been living as a commoner for years, just… not in Attica. Her heart sank as she began to wonder what _else_ she didn't know about her own people. She'd rarely interacted with them outside of festivals, merely seen them from windows in the palace or from inside a chariot.

Her irritation at Ja'far's comment swiftly melted into resignation. Her wealth and position had sheltered her, and her ignorance was something she would have to remedy before she took the throne. How could she effectively lead her people if she didn't _know_ them? She'd professed to love them, but how could she? She hardly knew anything about them.

"You're right," she admitted. "I have a lot to learn."

"You will learn." He gave her a brief, friendly smile. "First, let's worry about getting out of here alive. Where are we?"

Thalia unfolded the map, pointing to the break in the wall. "We're here, so if we keep walking all day, we should reach the temple by sundow—eep!"

"Shh!" Ja'far cut her off, tugging her behind a large wine storage vessel. Then she heard it, another trumpet sounding off. This time, the sound of doors opening and closing began to ricochet around them. People left their homes, each carrying a small basket and heading in the same direction. One man carried an emaciated girl in his arms. She hung limply, her chest barely rising and following. He was not alone. A weeping group of women had what looked to be the fresh corpse of an elderly man, and several coughing citizens staggered along with the others. Wherever they were going, it seemed even death was not an excuse for absence.

When the crowd cleared, there were nothing but a few stragglers limping or sprinting— depending on their physical condition— all racing with their baskets to a single destination. Then, in a matter of minutes, the streets were empty. When they were certain they were alone again, Thalia and Ja'far came out of their hiding place.

"That is definitely weird," Thalia muttered, clenching her fist tightly. Whatever she'd just witnessed, it was clearly some kind of cruelty being done to her citizens at the hands of Parthevia. "I want to follow them and find out what's happening."

Ja'far shook his head. "We need to stick to the plan. Thalia, you're sure we can trust the priestesses at the temple, right?"

Thalia chewed her lip anxiously. She didn't know if she could trust _anyone_ , but there was no where else she knew to turn. "We'll just have to take that chance."

"You know I don't like chances," Ja'far grumbled.

"Me either."

Thalia and Ja'far began their ascent through the maze-like city. For a while, the streets remained eerily empty. Parts of the city appeared to have been razed to the ground, and in other parts, the Attican buildings had been replaced with what Thalia could only assume were factories and warehouses, all built in the Parthevian style. These buildings were heavily guarded, and the sounds of looms clacking or metal smelting and officers barking orders could be heard from a distance.

"It looks like they're trying to keep the population confined into smaller areas so they're easier to keep track of," Ja'far whispered as they passed one of these facilities. Thalia scowled, wondering if the sick people she had seen earlier were being forced to work in those vile conditions. Attica had a population of around 300,000 spread out over a small island that, at its widest, was a four day walk. If Parthevia was packing all of the citizens into facilities like this, it was no wonder she'd seen so many sick people this morning. It was completely unhygienic.

By noon, they had reached the main road, a large, stone-paved path designed for heavy traffic that spanned the entire two-day journey from the temple to the port on the other side of the island. Even from here, Asena's temple could be seen, towering domineeringly above the city she was supposed to protect. Seeing it again for the first time in years, Thalia felt small, guilty. Maybe a part of her did believe in the goddess and the old ways, and that as the rebellious princess of Attica, Thalia's own actions had led to the current state of things.

She felt like a little girl again.

For five more hours, they travelled up the increasingly steep hill until they passed under the two colossal columns that marked the entrance to their destination. Thalia threw herself on a bench placed just on the other side, groaning loudly. She was used to operating without sleep, and she had walked similar distances in Heliohapt, but she wasn't used to going without food, and they had only eaten jerky for lunch. It was hardly a real meal.

"Ja'far, I'm going to pass out." She unwrapped herself from her himation, allowing her arms to breathe the cool evening air.

"No you're not." Ja'far sat down and handed her their flask of water. "You made it to Heliohapt. You'll make it through this."

Thalia took a large gulp from the water they'd collected from a deserted well on the way here. Thalia had forgotten how crisp and sweet Attican water was, and right now it tasted like the nectar of the gods.

"This place…" Ja'far looked around him, taking in the greenery of the temple's courtyard. "it's beautiful." Giving her an encouraging smile, he continued. "When you get everything settled, I may come stay here when I need a break from Sin."

Thalia laughed goodnaturedly. "You can keep me up to date on his latest shenanigans. In fact, I want updates on everyone. You'll be my spy."

"I'll act as a double agent," he winked. "I'll let him know how you're doing too."

Thalia's laughter died down, and she stared into her lap. "I doubt that that will be necessary. He probably wants to forget."

"He won't forget." Ja'far smacked his fist into his open palm firmly. "Even if he wants to, he won't."

"I hope he does," Thalia confessed quietly. "I hope he moves on and I hope he's happy."

It was hard, nearly impossible, to say. She wasn't even sure if she meant it. Part of her hoped he would always, always think about her, that he would spurn every opportunity to be with someone else, that he would never so much as look at another man or woman. But that wasn't realistic was it? And even if it was, it was cruel and selfish. So, she'd said the words, hoping that one day they would be true.

Ja'far kicked his legs awkwardly, shrinking in on himself. "Thalia…"

"Hm?"

"I'm sorry."

Startled, Thalia looked up at Ja'far. His words seemed to have come out of nowhere. She had no clue why he would suddenly say such a thing. What could he possibly have to be sorry for?. "What for?"

"I think I might be the reason Sin broke up with you." Ja'far threw his head back. "What the two of you had wasn't normal, especially in the beginning. Back then I thought it was you; you were doing something to make him cling to you like that. He kept making bad decisions when it came to you, and I just…"

"You were worried." Thalia had noticed it too. She had noticed it, but she'd chosen to ignore it. She overlooked all the signs that something was wrong instead of trusting her own gut because she'd wanted to believe in his infallibility. He had a reason for everything. He would protect her. He would handle it. She'd always put her fate in his hands.

"Over time, things got better, and I got to know you. You really do want what's best for him. I also think I understand a little better why he was like that. Maader didn't just hurt _you_ , did she?"

Thalia didn't know how to answer that question. Had Sinbad never told Ja'far about what Lady Maader had put him through? Was Thalia the only one who knew?

"I'm glad you were there for him." Ja'far sighed, squinting into the setting sun. "Even though you're a distraction… I think for a while, that was what he needed, but if he's ever going to really recover, he needs to focus again. His dream, you… at some point he was going to have to choose, and I told him that."

Thalia reached over and ruffled Ja'far's hair playfully. When he protested, she announced, "That's my revenge."

"You're not mad?"

Thalia shook her head and stood up, wrapping her himation back around her. "You were looking out for your friend. I'm sure something like that, we could have fixed with a little work. The reason things are like this between us is… well… more complicated." She gave him a weak smile.

Ja'far furrowed his eyebrows, but didn't ask. Thalia was glad. She didn't want him to know she was having second thoughts about her destiny, that she was afraid that when she and Ja'far said goodbye, she would be completely and utterly alone. Upon taking Attica back, she would either by hailed as an incarnation of Asena or jeered as a tyrant for not taking a husband. Claiming the throne for herself wouldn't be easy, but…

She looked in the direction of the temple. If the high priestess was on her side, things would go a lot more smoothly.

Ja'far hopped off the bench as well. Thalia assumed he hadn't needed to rest the way she had. He'd merely been waiting on her.

"Are you ready?"

Thalia nodded resolutely, the image of her sick and frightened citizens stuck in her head. No one else was going to help them. For now, she had no choice but to continue on the path her destiny laid out for her.

"Let's go."

* * *

A/N: So I recently got the SNB official fanbook and in the first pages there's a timeline. It turns out that by the time the Sindria Trading Company moves to Balbadd, Sinbad is 17, which completely overhauls my own timeline unless I concede that he is not a summer baby. So, let's just say the Mariadel arc happens in the fall. They take the winter to _chill out_ (thanks, I'll be here all summer) and Sinbad has a winter birthday (even though it's horrible and wrong that he should be born in any season other than summer). Right now it's late spring/early summer (I think?), which means Thalia is 17 as well.

One last thing: if you didn't notice, there's a chapter called "Serendine's Confession" that I retroactively added because I realized the original timeline I had planned didn't work out. It is indeed the part where Serendine and Thalia finally talk about what actually happened. So, if you were interested in that, it's chapter 40 as of right now.


	44. Asena's Temple

Until Thalia realized that no one was listening to her prayers, Asena's temple had been her second home. Then, the goddess had failed her, and Thalia gave up. Real or not, Asena didn't care. She didn't give a damn about Thalia, so why should Thalia send her prayers and incense? Why should she provide sacrifices? Why should she even try?

But the instinct to believe ran strong, and being here in the presence of the temple, even with the rational Ja'far at her side, Thalia could almost feel an ethereal presence. It was not kind or benevolent. It was strict and wrathful. It was willing to punish an entire nation for the actions of a single princess.

"She's not real," Thalia reminded herself, her arms crossed protectively over her chest.

"Are you okay?" Ja'far didn't seem to sense the presence Thalia did. He just stared at her, concern etched into his furrowed eyebrows.

Thalia nodded, looking up at the relief on the pediment. On it, the goddess stood in the center with one arm raised, holding a torch above the figures Thalia had always been told represented the people of Attica. Even the men were bowing, showing deference to the creature that could bless or smite the country on a whim, and Thalia had spent years spitting in her face.

"Ja'far?"

"Hm?"

Thalia turned her head to find him tapping his foot impatiently. Flashing him a guilty smile, let her arms fall to her sides.

"Do you mind waiting here?" It was better if he didn't come in. If the priestesses betrayed her, at least they wouldn't know there were two invaders. Thalia intended for Ja'far to return alive no matter what.

"I'm supposed to keep an eye on you, Thalia." He frowned. "I can't do that from out here."

"I just need you to stay outside," she insisted. "Foreigners aren't allowed in the temple." It was a lie, but Ja'far didn't know that.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Ja'far bowed his head. "Alright. Don't take too long."

Thalia nodded, fishing the incense she had packed specifically for this occasion out of her friend's backpack. She would need to convince the Priestesses she was willing to play their game. She needed them to think they could control her. Otherwise, they would never help her.

Lifting her long skirt, Thalia made her way up the temple steps, through the _pronaos_ — the entry to the temple— and through the door of the room that held the great statue of Asena. The figure in her memories was intimidating— twelve feet tall; cold, unfeeling marble; jewel-encrusted irises that looked down upon her worshipers with disdain.

 _She's not real,_ Thalia reminded herself. _She's not real. She's not real._

When she caught sight of the statue, she sighed in relief. Her memories must have been distorted. Asena looked to be about six feet tall, the golden sword and shield clutched tightly in her stone fists, and a helmet of the same material on her head. These were relics from Attica's ancient past, their origins lost to history. Asena was said to have wielded them in the conquests of foreign lands, but Thalia knew better than to believe such drivel. After all, Asena _wasn't real_.

Placing the incense in the burner in front of the goddess, Thalia raised her hands to the heavens, projecting her voice loud enough that she could be heard even from the priestesses' quarters.

"O Asena, Protector of Attica, she who possesses wisdom beyond all others, hear my plea! Heal this broken country and deliver us from the hands of our oppressors! I offer this incense in your honor, that in return you will grant me your favor! Hear me, O Conquerer of Lands, O Giver of Blessings! Restore this country to its glory—"

 _Slap._

Thalia brought her hand up to her stinging cheek. Turning her gaze to the woman next to her, she let out a sharp hiss. It was the high priestess, hand still raised from the strike she had dealt.

"High Priestess."

"Shameless apostate!" the woman shrieked. "How dare you return after all these years!"

"I come to seek forgiveness." Thalia fought back tears, humiliated by this reception. The high priestess had never been particularly matronly, but she had helped to raise Thalia nonetheless. Wasn't a strike a bit extreme after everything else Thalia had been through? "The goddess is merciful. You taught me that yourself."

"There are some deeds even the goddess cannot forgive." The woman drew up, straightening her spine. "Leave. You don't belong here."

Thalia turned obstinately back to the statue. She hadn't risked her life coming here to be turned away so easily.

"O Mother of the Royal Bloodline, your child is in need! Do I not carry your blood in my veins? Your humble descendent implores you, listen to the woes of your people! They cry out to you in their suffering, yet your priestesses sit here surrounded by treasure." Turning her head, Thalia locked eyes with the high priestess. "Have they forgotten who it is they serve?"

The high priestess pulled her gray robes more tightly around her, the corners of her mouth turning into a dour frown. "The goddess has granted her blessing to Parthevia. You should not have come back, Princess. You are too late."

Thalia turned her head back to Asena, recalling the high priestess's fondness for a generous "donations."

"Grant me your favor, O Righteous and Mighty, and in return, I shall donate 600 talents to the refurbishing of your temple!"

In the corner of her eye, Thalia saw the High Priestess's stern expression falter. That much money was enough to rebuild the temple entirely. Of course, it was a promise Thalia was unlikely to be able to keep. Perhaps the Seven Seas Alliance would grant her a loan, but paying it back would be difficult.

The high priestess didn't have to know that, though.

"You realize the people will never follow you, Princess," the high priestess told her. "After you left, word began to spread about you and your… 'proclivities.'"

Despite her careful avoidance of outright saying what she was referring to, the priestess's voice held enough contempt to let Thalia know precisely what she was referring to.

"You mean my crush on a girl when I was _nine_."

The High Priestess drew back at the mention of something so unspeakable, and Thalia fought back shame. Of course, there wasn't anything wrong with something like that. Thalia had lived in Reim and Balbadd long enough to know there was a world outside Attica and its religion, and it was no more barbaric or immoral.

Wrong or right, it didn't change the sense of loneliness that settled over her. Her people wanted a virginal maiden, so she would pretend. Her people wanted a docile queen, so she would pretend. They wanted an empty shell, and so she would pretend.

But she would not let them convince her something was wrong with her, not again.

"I was a kid." Thalia shook her head, unable to believe what she was about to say. It didn't need to be true. She just needed the priestess to think she meant it. "I didn't know better, but I'm different now. I understand what my priorities need to be."

For the first time since Thalia's return, the woman's face softened. "You've found a husband, then. Who is to become our king?"

Thalia ran a hand anxiously through her hair. She could keep up a charade of not having an interest in women indefinitely, but she could only put off marriage for so long before the priestess realized she had been deceived. It was better to be upfront with the truth on this matter.

"There will be no king," Thalia stated firmly. " _I_ will take the throne. I will lead Attica myself."

"Shameless apostate!" The high priestess raised her voice, spittle flying from her lips. "No wonder I see a miasma clinging to you! You continue to defy the path the goddess has planned for you. She chose you as her servant, yet you dare to spit in her face! _You_ have no claim to the throne, Thalia Alexandris!"

Thalia took a deep breath, attempting to maintain her composure. "My claim to the throne is that I'm qualified. I've studied economics and politics as well as any man. I already have the support of the Seven Seas Alliance, a powerful cluster of countries that can protect us. Their leader recognizes me as the legitimate ruler of Attica."

Turning away, the High Priestess stepped forward several paces. "Neither the laws of this country nor the goddess herself allow for a woman to claim the throne. You'll go down in history as a tyrant. You think I'll lend my aid to such a misguided endeavor?"

The corners of Thalia's lips twitched downward. The high priestess wanted to talk about misguided endeavors?

"Let me guess— Parthevia allows you and your acolytes to stay here with your treasures undisturbed in exchange for your support?" Walking up to the priestess, Thalia placed a hand on her shoulder, lowering her voice threateningly. "You can fight me and lose your influence, or I can make you the most powerful woman in this country again."

Swallowing, the priestess turned to place a sweaty hand on Thalia's arm. "I suppose the goddess could be swayed on one condition. You must allow me to put you through a cleansing ritual. It is the only way you'll ever regain the people's support."

"A cleansing ritual?" Thalia furrowed her eyebrows. "Do we have such a thing?"

"Of course." The priestess approached Asena's statue, gazing up reverently. "It is a tradition passed down from ancient times, a method of communion with the gods. You're a tainted vessel, Princess. At every turn, you've defied your fate, and you still refuse to submit. The goddess cannot use you like this."

Thalia rubbed her elbow thoughtfully. The priestess was describing the same phenomenon as Muu and Dinarzade. Was cutting Sinbad out of her life and reclaiming Attica really not enough? What more did she have to do? Was her only option to marry Muu? Was every minute detail of her life already planned out for her?

Brushing those thoughts aside, Thalia weighed her options. If a ritual was all she had to do to convince the high priestess she was a suitable puppet, Thalia was more than willing to go through with it. However, if the high priestess could see the same darkness in Thalia Dinarzade could, she might be hard to fool.

"If I go through with this ritual and I'm still 'tainted,' what will you do?" Thalia asked hesitantly.

The priestess looked her in the eye. "It will work."

In the back of the room, an acolyte began to light torches, illuminating the chamber with a warm, orange glow.

The priestess lowered her voice. "The Parthevians have enacted a strict curfew six days a week, but tonight is the free night. People will be visiting the temple to pray. You can't stay here."

"Then where will I—"

"Shh!" The priestess covered Thalia's mouth and shoved her behind the statue of Asena. Thalia almost protested, but then she heard another set of footsteps.

"High Priestess, it is good to see you." The voice was feminine, melodic. It sounded vaguely familiar, but Thalia couldn't quite place where she had heard it before. "I caught a stag on the hunt, and I brought its heart as an offering."

Disapproval dripped from the High Priestess's words. "I've told you a thousand times, hunting is better left to men."

"And yet the goddess herself wields a sword. It seems a bit hypocritical of her to demand all other women sit idly and weave."

Thalia sucked in her cheeks, trying not to laugh. Who was this clever woman, and why hadn't Thalia befriended her growing up? Peeking around the edge of the statue, she caught sight of a head of curly, black hair.

"I've asked you not to visit the temple. It's bad enough you blaspheme the goddess outside its walls. Do not sully her sacred place as well."

"I'm not the one who uses her name to prop a doctrine of hatred for women when the earliest works about her, about our _people,_ suggest we used to be powerful and revered."

The Priestess sighed. "This is why women such as you shouldn't read. Without the proper training, your imagination takes you to all sorts of fanciful places. Have you come once again to pray for the return of the princess?"

"As always."

When the priestess spoke again, she sounded exhausted. "Asena only knows why she chose to grant the wish of someone like you. Princess, you may come out. Sappho may be misguided, but she's the only loyal ally you're going to find."

Timidly, Thalia emerged from her hiding spot and locked eyes with the girl who'd entered the temple. She was older, more mature, but undeniably familiar. "Sappho?"

Her amethyst eyes fluttered in disbelief. "Asena be praised…"

Thalia took a tentative step toward her former maid. "Sappho, are you well? Were you punished for what I did?"

Sappho bowed low, long black ringlets dripping over her shoulder. "You have returned to us at last. I knew you would. I knew it."

Rushing to her side, Thalia took Sappho's hands into her own. "No one hurt you, did they?"

"Princess, I—"

"Get up," the priestess commanded. "If someone walks in on us and discovers we're harboring the princess, we could all lose our heads."

Sappho raised herself upright, her eyes glistening with tears. Unsure if they were of joy or discomfort, Thalia released Sappho from her grip and took a clumsy step backward.

"I'm not putting my life on the line for you, Princess," the High Priestess continued. "You can stay with Sappho and her _friend_ until the cleansing ceremony is prepared." Her eyes fell to the basket in Sappho's hands. "Speaking of which, I hope there's more than a heart inside that basket."

Sappho held out the wicker container to the priestess obediently. "Amaltheia says she won't provide any more until she knows what you're doing with it. She's sent you enough to kill an army."

The high priestess grabbed the basket and looked inside, pursing her lips. "It's not my place to question what Parthevia wants with the stuff. If we're lucky, they're abusing it themselves, and in a few years, they'll all be too high to govern."

 _An addictive drug? One that can kill?_ "You're providing the Parthevians with merosh?" Thalia gaped at the priestess. "Only you, herbalists, and doctors are supposed to have access. How can you unleash something like that on them? What if they use it to poison our people?"

The priestess scowled. "Don't lecture _me._ Unlike you, I was there. It took my mother from me for most of my childhood, and then I had to watch her suffer through withdrawal when the regulations were enacted."

"Then, why—?"

"Some of us are trying to survive a foreign occupation." The high priestess rubbed her elbow impatiently. "If I don't provide the refined merosh, they'll destroy the temple, loot Asena's treasury, and kill me and my charges. You should be thanking me for protecting the most vital part of the kingdom."

Thalia bit her lip, trying not to correct the priestess. The most vital part of the kingdom was its people. Asena was just a convenient means of winning their favor.

Thalia looked behind her as more voices and footsteps approached.

"Tch." Turning away from the two girls, the high priestess set down the basket and raised her hands as though she were in prayer. "I suggest you leave. I don't have time to discuss this any further. Come back in three days. I'll have the elixir for purification prepared by then."

Her hands folded in front of her stomach, Sappho bowed her head respectfully. "Princess, my home is humble, but I'll do my best to take care of you."

"Please, I can take care of myself," Thalia insisted.

"But Princess!"

"And refer to me by my name. That way, no one who overhears us will realize who I am."

"T- Thalia…" Sappho made a face as though she had just tasted something disgusting. "It's not proper for someone _of your station—"_

Thalia raised a silencing hand. "At the moment, I have no station. I'm the same as you. Now, which way is your home?"

Stiffly, Sappho pointed northwest. Thalia pivoted for the exit, marching through a group of weary, half-starved citizens shuffling into the temple. She wanted to stare, but she didn't allow herself to. It might give away the fact that she didn't belong. One exceptionally thin woman paused, staring at Thalia accusatorially. Thalia made the mistake of faltering, meeting the woman's hate-filled eyes.

Making a hocking noise, she spit on Thalia's robes."Traitor!"

Horrified, Thalia shook the saliva off her sleeve and stumbled backward. The only explanation for this woman calling her a traitor was that she knew who Thalia was. The woman was going to turn her in to the Parthevians and—

Sappho grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the courtyard and away from the throng of people.

"Sappho, you should go." Thalia fought to control her labored breathing. "They know who I am, and they'll hurt you if they catch us together." She backed away until she tripped, a shrub cushioning her fall.

"That's not it, it's just that—" Sappho was cut off by thick wires wrapping tightly around her. Thalia glanced over at Ja'far, who closed the distance between himself and Sappho in only a moment, pointing a knife to her throat.

"Ja'far, no!" Thalia scrambled to her feet.

"Who are you?" he demanded. "Why were you hurting Thalia?"

Sappho glared down at Ja'far defiantly. "Princess, run. This is no ordinary child. I've heard Parthevia sometimes uses children as assassins. It will be an honor to die in your service."

"That's enough, both of you!" Thalia stomped her foot. Couldn't they see they were in danger? "No one's going to die!" Grabbing Ja'far by the arm, she tugged. "We need to go. They already know who I am."

"They _what?_ " Ja'far snapped, retracting his wires.

"I'm telling you, they _don't."_ Sappho wrapped her arms around herself injuredly. "That woman only did that because you look well-fed. Those who helped Parthevia in the early days or report their neighbors for misbehavior get extra portions of food." She let out a deep breath. "She didn't recognize you, but it's not safe for you to walk around looking like you do."

"What about you?" Ja'far pointed a knife at her accusatorially. "You're not exactly starving. Are you cooperating with the Parthevians?"

Sappho cast her eyes to the ground. "Indirectly. My partner, Amaltheia, grows Merosh flowers. So long as we provide some to the temple, Parthevia leaves us alone. Since I hunt and Amaltheia has a garden, we eat well."

Thalia stared at her former maid, brimming with questions. When had she learned to hunt? Who was Amaltheia? Why did she refer to her as a partner and not a friend?

"Princess—" Sappho shook her head. " _Thalia._ Do you ride? We need to head out if we're going to get any sleep."

"Ride? Like horses?" Thalia furrowed her eyebrows. Why would Sappho even think to ask a question like that? Attican women didn't ride horses. They rode in chariots where it was safe.

Sappho gestured to a dappled pony tied to a tree on the other side of the path.

Thalia added Sappho's apparent riding ability to her list of things to ask questions about. Had she always had these talents? Had Thalia just never been interested enough to ask?

Sappho helped Thalia up first, helping her step up. Rather than straddling the horse, Thalia sat demurely with her legs hanging off one side. Sappho then hopped on, riding the way men did, with one leg on each side. She wrapped her arms around Thalia, both to keep her from falling and to grip the reigns. Ja'far, familiar with horses and with better balance than Thalia, mounted last. As they rode, Thalia continually snuck glances at the woman who used to serve her. She had grown so much over the past years, a soft beauty having replaced the childish roundness in her face.

By the time clustering buildings had given way to lumbering trees, Thalia's furtive glances had caught Sappho's attention. Her eyes crinkled into a smile, and Thalia glanced away, heat blooming in her face. The high priestess had said rumors about Thalia's interest in girls had spread after her disappearance. If that was the case, Thalia was probably making her former maid uncomfortable.

"Barbarian," Sappho turned her head to Ja'far. "I hear the customs outside of Attica are strange. Is it true?"

Ja'far leaned over thoughtfully. "I suppose to you they would be. They aren't that unusual to the people who live there."

"Is it true that there are places where women love each other? Where no one would look down on someone for it?"

Thalia winced. So Sappho _had_ heard. She was probably trying to gauge how corrupted the outer world had made Thalia.

Ja'far shrugged. "I suppose it's not exactly common, but I can't see why anyone would look down on it. Love is love, right?"

Nodding, Sappho flicked the reigns, spurring the horse to go faster. "Love is love… yes, I agree."

Thalia sat up straight. "You do?"

This was unexpected. In Attica, women loving one another was one of the greatest taboos. Even if one was willing to endure the isolation and rejection of her peers, legally, it was unfeasible. Women's work was limited, their ability to own land and obtain sizable loans virtually nonexistent. Women needed men to survive. Thalia had thought everyone here just accepted that.

"Admittedly, the situation at my home is unusual, but I think the two of you will understand." Sappho met Thalia's eyes. "You especially, Princess. We're the same."

Thalia furrowed her eyebrows. "The same?"

"Sappho looked to the path ahead. "We've both fallen in love with women."

Thalia opened her mouth to deny it but thought better. Sappho, at least, understood. She wasn't about to report Thalia to everyone within earshot or lock her in a temple. She wouldn't shame her.

Blinking, she looked up to Sappho, who had once again revealed herself to be far more complex than Thalia had ever given her credit for.

"Who…?"

Sappho smiled. "You're about to meet her." Tugging on the reigns, she commanded the horse to stop. They had arrived at a small shack nestled snugly in the forest. As Sappho dismounted, a tiny, blonde waif of a woman bounded out of the building, nearly tackling Thalia's former maid with her embrace.

"Geez, you were out late again. I was starting to worry," the woman whined.

"You must forgive me this time." Sappho cupped the woman's cheek affectionately. "You see, I picked up a stray princess and her attendant."

"Friend," Ja'far corrected her. He smiled politely, folding his hands in front of him. "My name is Ja'far."

Still clinging to Sappho, the blonde woman sized up Thalia and her companion.

"You found a stray _what?_ "

"This is our Princess, Amaltheia," Sappho explained, gesturing to Thalia. "You should bow."

Amaltheia drew in a deep breath, her cheeks puffing out. Thalia would have thought it was adorable if it weren't for the severe tone of her voice. "And you just brought her to our home without even discussing it with me."

"Amaltheia, she'll understand. She's like us."

"After she _abandoned_ you—"

"She needs a place to stay—"

"—abandoned _all of us,_ but you especially!"

" _Amaltheia."_

"She broke your heart, and now you want to bring _her_ into _our house_?" She finished her rant with the stomp of her foot.

Thalia didn't understand. She'd broken Sappho's heart? Then that meant…

Thalia was still processing Amaltheia's words when Sappho swept the blonde woman up into a long, passionate kiss, tangling lithe fingers into long hair. Heat rushing to her face, Thalia covered her eyes, peeking through her fingers. She'd never seen a display of affection between two women like this— not in Reim, not in Balbadd, and certainly not here. Beside her, Ja'far made a quiet gagging noise. When Sappho pulled away, they were both breathless. "I love you. You _know_ that."

"I suppose… she can stay for a little while," Amaltheia panted, flashing Thalia a content smile.

Dumbstruck, Thalia nodded her thanks. Her heart pounded in her chest, the exhilaration of watching something so forbidden, so private, so passionate coursing through her. Bringing her hands to her lips, she wondered if girls were as soft as they looked. Sinbad had been hard and lean and muscular, and that was its own kind of thrilling, but she couldn't deny she was curious.

Amaltheia ushered Thalia and Ja'far into the building. The blazing hearth washed the room in a warm glow. Against the wall to Thalia's left, a lumpy bed sat, looking as though it might collapse at any moment. Two chairs sat side by side, facing the fireplace, and drying herbs hung from the ceiling.

"It's a bit shabby, but—"

"No! It's a lovely home," Ja'far insisted.

Thalia nodded. It was better than sleeping outdoors.

Amaltheia smiled, offering the chairs to Thalia and Ja'far. Thalia refused, not wanting to be a burden to the couple. Instead, she took her place on the floor by the fireplace, and Ja'far joined her. Amaltheia gladly sat in her familiar seat, plopping into it. Sappho gracefully lowered herself into the other chair, and they joined hands.

"I'm certain you have many questions," Sappho said. "This country is not the same as when you left. In the chaos, Amaltheia and I have managed to make a life for ourselves that would have been impossible before, but undoubtedly Parthevia's treatment of our people cannot continue."

"They branded us like cattle!" Amaltheia held out her wrist, showing a number tattooed in black ink. "They treat us like livestock too! It's ridiculous!"

"They're working us to death." Sappho squeezed her girlfriend's hand gently. "As I said, Amaltheia's special knowledge of merosh production affords us certain protections, but the situation for most people is dire. They do grueling work all day and receive very little food in return. Many have already died from these conditions, but sometimes even healthy people just… disappear."

" _I_ know where they go," Amaltheia whispered, leaning closer to Thalia and Ja'far. "It's that building where the palace used to be. When I still lived with my father, you could hear the screams from my room." She sat back up and shuddered, inching closer to Sappho.

Sappho frowned. "It does seem likely that they end up there, yes."

"They tore down the palace?" Thalia sat up, angry tears stinging her eyes. Parthevia was determined to take everything away from her.

"Tell us more about this building," Ja'far prompted. "What do you know about it?"

Sappho and Amaltheia exchanged glances.

"It's heavily guarded," Sappho warned. "That's all anyone knows. You must not go there under any circumstances, do you understand? I fear that whatever they're hiding is not the sort of thing that can be forgotten."

Thalia shook her head. "We came to scout. We need to find out as much as we can."

Beside her, Ja'far shrugged. "I'm not putting you at any more risk than you already are. I'll do some surveillance tomorrow if you can promise to stay here and out of trouble.

"I promise," Thalia agreed. Her eyes wandered to a bookshelf lined with sanguine-tinted vials. Because everything else in the room was various shades of green, blue, and brown, the crimson casks seemed eerily out of place. "What are those?"

"Merosh," Amaltheia answered. "I sometimes head to the city and offer my services as a healer. It helps the ones with chronic pain rest easily."

Thalia shuddered. "There's so much."

"Each of those vials could kill a fully grown man," Amaltheia agreed. "Or last him a couple of weeks to ease his pain. It depends on how you use it."

"And Parthevia has been asking you to provide it to them through the temple?" Thalia hugged her knees closer to her chest.

"Oh yes," Amatheia replied. "I'm concerned about what they're using it for, but if it keeps Sappho safe, I'm willing to do it. I'd burn this whole forsaken country to the ground."

Ja'far frowned. "What do you think they're doing with it?"

"I'd rather not think about it," Amaltheia shivered. "There are too many awful things to think about already."

Sappho brushed a stray hair out of her girlfriend's face. "Aren't you tired, Dear? This is late for you."

Amaltheia let out an exaggerated yawn. "Mmmm… a little. We do have a lot of work to do tomorrow."

"I'll lay a blanket out on the floor." Sappho stood up, moving toward a chest by the foot of the bed and digging out a quilt. "You and I will sleep there, and the princess can have the bed."

Smiling graciously, Thalia stood up. "Sappho, I appreciate the offer, but Ja'far and I will sleep on the floor. We couldn't possibly kick you out of your own bed." Besides, it couldn't possibly be less comfortable than the lumpy abomination that resembled a bed.

"Princess, we wouldn't dare—"

"Yes, we would." Amaltheia was already taking off her himation. "She said we could have the bed. I'm taking the bed." She hopped in, and, somehow, it didn't collapse under her weight.

Sappho watched her girlfriend and let out a heavy sigh. "I apologize, Princess. She's wilful. I love that about her, but I'm afraid she has offended you."

"Please, Sappho. I'm not above sleeping on the ground." Taking the quilt from Sappho, she spread it out by the fire. " I was a slave myself for several years. I'm not above you, no matter my title." Unwrapping her himation, Thalia tugged down the back of her dress to let the pale while scars on her back peek out.

Sappho let out an appalled gasp."I was never so ill-treated at the palace. To think someone would dare—"

"When I take Attica back, slavery will be illegal." Thalia stood imperially, channeling a royal demeanor. There were many things she was still unsure about, but this was not one of them. "The people may not take a woman ruler seriously, but I'll consolidate power until they have to listen."

Amaltheia opened one eye. "Sappho and I will gladly follow you once you reclaim the throne. I'm sure others will as well. They'll flock to you like birds."

"'Like sheep,' Dear" Sappho corrected.

"Hm?"

"The phrase is 'like sheep.'"

"That makes no sense. Attica is an island. How would sheep get over the water?"

"That's why it's a simile."

"I'm a herbalist, not a linguist. Keep your fancy vocabulary to yourself."

Thalia giggled, sitting down on the blanket. Thalia had no idea how Sappho and Amaltheia had found each other, but she was glad they had. Attica could feel lonely and constricting, but less so when there was someone who understood.

"Sappho," Thalia asked softly once Amaltheia's quiet snores joined the crackling of the fire, "how did two women come to live together? It's unheard of. Two men having a fling is one thing, but women moving in together is..."

"Who's going to tell us not to? Parthevia?" Sappho laughed bitterly. "I love Attica, but it's no place for a woman. In some ways, the collapse was the best thing that happened for Amaltheia and me. Everything was so confused and chaotic, but people were so focused on their own hardships, they stopped paying any mind to people like us. For the first time, we were able to openly pursue our true desires. Amaltheia always wanted to become an herbalist, but her father refused to educate her in anything besides weaving."

"What was your true desire?" Thalia asked gently.

"A partner. Someone to spend my life with. As you said, under the old system, a relationship like ours was unheard of." Sappho gazed thoughtfully into the fire. "I'd like to marry her someday. I know you have a lot to deal with when you take back the country, but if you could make it a point to recognize people like us… people like _you,_ it would mean a lot to the both of us."

Thalia stuttered, "I— It's simply not done. Women don't love each other. Women don't get married. Women don't…"

Sappho smiled sadly. "Is that you or your father speaking?"

Hanging her head in shame, Thalia pulled her knees to her chest. "I'm afraid if I throw my weight behind something so controversial, I'll never get control of this country. I'm already a woman trying to lead. If I decide to change too much at once, I could lose everything.

Sappho nodded understandingly. "My greatest fear is that when peace returns to Attica, its old attitudes and values will return as well. I especially worry for Amaltheia. She's blossomed now that she's free to pursue her dreams. I don't think she could go back to her old life, and I don't know if she can withstand the ostracization of being an outcast."

"If nothing else, I'm sure Sinbad will welcome you as citizens of his country." Ja'far gave Sappho a warm smile. "The world outside of Attica is much less restrictive. It'll be easier for him to recognize a marriage between women than it would be for Thalia."

Sappho's eyes clouded over. "I suppose that's an option. I just thought if anyone could change this country, it would be you, Princess."

The weight of Sappho's impossible expectations came crashing down on Thalia's shoulders. Could she really fix this country? Could she give Sappho and Amaltheia the protection they deserved? She thought back to Balbadd, all those people waiting for reforms that may never come. It had made her angry. She could afford to be mad because she hadn't been afraid of suffering herself. This was different. She had the power to make a change, to back up her words with action, but at a cost to herself. She was afraid, but it was time to be strong.

"I want to help you, Sappho."

* * *

 **A/N: Hey, guys! I'm back with another chapter! Sorry it took so long! Since classes have started back up, there may continue to be longer periods between updates, but I'm so happy to finally publish this! I'm also feeling a lot better, if anyone was wondering!**


	45. Twilight's Return

"Hush! You'll wake the princess."

"Why should _she_ get to sleep in?"

"She's our _princess_ , Amaltheia."

"So?"

Thalia stirred to quiet shuffling and whispers. Sitting up slowly on the hard floor, she rubbed her eyes and let out a small sigh. It didn't matter anyway. She hadn't slept well, terrified the Parthevians would burst into the little cottage, slaughter her friends, and then drag off Thalia herself to do gods know what. Maybe they'd take her to that mysterious building Sappho and Amaltheia had warned her about. There, they might torture and rape her until she broke so thoroughly, even Sinbad couldn't save her.

She shivered, holding herself protectively. Less than a year ago, she'd worried about these same things incessantly. Until now, she'd believed those days were behind her, but her savior was gone, and no one could replace him— not even brave and competent Ja'far.

"Princess, we were too loud." Sappho and Amaltheia had stopped bickering, and her former maid bowed hurriedly, dropping a basket in her rush. Seeing someone as elegant as Sappho startled into clumsiness distracted Thalia from her dark thoughts,bringing a small smile to her lips. "Forgive us for our carelessness."

Amaltheia, on the other hand, grinned triumphantly, placing her hands on her hips. "Good, you're up. As soon as Sappho and I collect our rations, you can help with the merosh collection. In the meantime, you should prepare breakfast. There are ingredients in the cupboard." Sappho shot Amaltheia a dirty look, but the headstrong waif shrugged it off. "If she's going to stay here, she's got to pull her weight."

Beside Thalia, Ja'far rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "What's going on?"

As the far off blare of a trumpet sounded, Sappho and Amaltheia exchanged nervous glances. It was Sappho who answered his question.

"Every morning, each citizen of Attica must congregate at a checkpoint for a headcount. There, the rations are distributed and we are then forced to work."

Rubbing her tattooed wrist gingerly, Amaltheia elaborated, "These tattoos are how they keep track of us. Sick, disabled, dead— it doesn't matter. If one person doesn't show up, the entire household is sentenced to death. It keeps people from trying to escape."

Sappho grabbed her girlfriend by the arm, tugging her toward the door. "Come, Dear. The second trumpet already sounded. We can't be late."

As the pair rushed out the door, Thalia shuddered, recalling the scene from yesterday— people carrying the sick and even the dead, all headed in a single direction. The explanation was more disturbing than Thalia had dared to imagine. She wanted to demand to know whose deranged idea this was. A few weeks ago, she would have pounced on the opportunity to blame Barbarossa, that horrible man who'd insisted Atticans were inferior in her youth. So far, though, jumping to conclusions had done nothing but make her look foolish.

Thalia started to fix breakfast, attempting to boil a head of lettuce, only to be relieved from her duty by Ja'far. He claimed he had come to work, and he wasn't about to let Thalia poison him out of commission.

When Sappho and Amaltheia returned, they all ate together. Then, Ja'far left to scout out the mysterious building that was now standing in place of Thalia's home. Sappho went hunting, and Amaltheia dragged Thalia out back to harvest merosh. She showed Thalia how to collect it, scraping dried sap off of the damaged pods with a knife, then creating a new gash to collect again later.

Thalia wasn't sure how she felt about collecting this poison that would end up in the hands of the Parthevian Empire, but she didn't complain. Amaltheia had said that doing this kept her and Sappho safe, and that was a good enough motive. Thalia understood the lengths a desire for survival could drive one to.

She wished she could do the same for Ja'far. He was out there risking his safety for her sake, and if she'd tagged along, it would have only served to make his mission more dangerous.

He didn't return that night, but he'd warned Thalia that was to be expected. A mission like this would last well into the night. Ideally, he'd said, it would even last weeks. One day was all Thalia would allow him, and that seemed to be the longest he was comfortable leaving her by herself as well.

The next day, as Thalia assisted in grinding the sap she and Amaltheia had collected into a fine, white powder, her stomach churned. Ja'far was out there by himself in a country filled with cruel, merciless guards, and he was only thirteen. As the sun rose higher in the sky, she kicked herself for allowing him to leave her at all. Former assassin or not, Muu had been right. Even competent people made mistakes. What if he got captured or killed? How would she live with herself if he never returned?

On top of that, her mind kept returning to the mysterious cleansing ritual she was to endure that night, the one the high priestess seemed to believe would cure her of her rebelliousness. She was, of course, in no danger. Since the goddess wasn't real, this cleansing ceremony couldn't be real either. All she had to do was smile and pretend to be a changed woman. Then, the priestess would lend Thalia her support, and Thalia could consolidate power.

She would have felt a thousand times better about it if Ja'far were by her side.

When he returned, Thalia's stiff shoulders relaxed. She set down her pestle and mortar, rising to greet him.

"How did it go?"

Ja'far shook his head, his lips pulled into a tight line. "It's no good. They have the whole area locked down tight." He plopped down on the floor by the hearth. "What I _did_ learn is that there doesn't appear to be anyone coming and going— at least, not at first glance."

"Meaning?" Thalia sat back down in the rocking chair and resumed her work under Amaltheia's withering gaze.

"Well, given how heavily it's guarded and its location, it doesn't seem to be just a storehouse. What's the point of a building if no one's using it? Then I remembered..."

Thalia's back straightened. "The tunnels."

She had mentioned them to Ja'far before when they were planning their infiltration. They hadn't used them because they'd assumed the Parthevians had sealed them shut after the invasion, but what if they hadn't? What if those underground pathways were still open, providing access to some kind of secret base?

Ja'far nodded. "It's right on top of them. Whatever's in there is confidential enough that they don't want anyone to know who's coming and going."

"That sounds ominous," Amalthia said, dumping the contents of her pestle into one of those red vials. "Do you know what it is?"

Ja'far shook his head. "The location means it's something they don't want their citizens to know about, and the fact that they spent money, time, and resources building it instead of recycling the palace that was already there shows that whatever they're using it for required a specialized building."

Thalia frowned. "So it could be a prison or a weapons manufacturing facility or any number of things."

"Exactly."

Before Thalia could ask what she was supposed to do next, Sappho burst in. In her fist, three limp hares dangled by their ears. Thalia stifled her unease at the sight, focusing instead on Sappho's pleasant features.

"I'm back. Is everyone safe?" Her gaze shot straight to Amaltheia, her worried expression softening. "I see you've been taking good care of the princess."

Amaltheia snorted. "Hardly. She's lucky I haven't kicked her out." Thalia's stern mentor shot her another glare, and Thalia realized she'd stopped working again. Quickly, she returned to grinding the merosh. "After she's done, we'll be heading into the city to treat as many patients as we can before she has to be at the temple."

Sappho dropped her game on the counter with a thud. "You intend to bring the princess out in the open?"

"Yup!" Amaltheia grinned brightly. "She needs to learn about our people if she's going to rule them. I'll tell everyone she's my apprentice. It'll be fine."

"Amaltheia, you could get _caught,_ and besides, the princess is our only hope for salvation. If something happens to her—"

Setting down her mortar and pestle, Thalia rose and interrupted her protective former maid. "Sappho, she's right. I need to do this. Besides, Ja'far will keep me safe, won't you?" She shot her small bodyguard an appeasing grin. He'd definitely earned a break, but he needed to escort her to the temple anyway.

Ja'far rubbed his bruised eyes and sighed. "Fine."

* * *

In the city, exhausted people sat in the streets, lethargically fanning themselves or sluggishly performing necessary chores. No children played, no women gossiped by the well, no men's laughter rang out boisterously through the street. Amaltheia stopped at a small apartment and knocked. A small, ancient woman opened the door, squinting as if to make out her visitors.

"Who is it?" She asked tersely. "Amaltheia, is that you?"

"Is Amaltheia here?" another woman called from inside. "Tell her to come in! She does wonders for my gout, that girl."

"You plan to hog her all to yourself again, don't you!" a third voice rang out. "Amaltheia, dear, my feet are swollen again. Did you bring the epsom salt?"

"I did bring it! I also brought some friends to help!" The small blonde stepped forward, holding out her hand. The one who had opened the door took it, inspecting the palm with gnarled fingers.

"Friends? I hope they'll be useful." The woman dropped Amaltheia's hand and reached out in Thalia's direction.

"Hello," Thalia said pleasantly, letting the woman take her hand. Her cold fingers traced the lines of Thalia's dry palms, memorizing the lines. She frowned as though in deep concentration, but Thalia continued anyway. "I'm Echo, and this is my brother, Herodotos."

"It's nice to meet you." Ja'far stepped forward at the sound of the false name Thalia had given him before their arrival in Attica, offering his hand as well. The woman took his and briefly studied it, seemingly more satisfied with what she found than she had been with Thalia's.

"Welcome to our home," the small woman said, stepping aside to let them in and shuffling through the dark room to join the other women, one tall and lithe, the other moderately built. They all seemed to be about equal in age, older than Thalia's grandfather had been when he'd passed away. "I'm Atropos, and these are my sisters, Lachesis and Klotho. We're all three widows, and now age has taken our sight from us."

Thalia recognized those names from the stories her maids had told her and was thoroughly convinced she was in the presence of the three blind goddesses who decided the fate of each person. She considered giving them a piece of her mind for settling her with such an unhappy destiny, but her mouth remained glued shut with terror.

Amaltheia's lips twitched up when she registered Thalia's terrified expression. "Relax. They're triplets with an eccentric father, not the _moirai_."

Thalia let out a relieved sigh, but tensed again when Atropos picked up a pair of scissors and snipped a thread.

"We certainly look the part now, don't we?" Klotho laughed."I used to be a beauty, I'll have you know."

"You still are," Amaltheia assured her, lighting a few candles to work by.

" _Moirai_?" Ja'far furrowed his eyebrows.

"The three fates," Lachesis explained. "Klotho spins the thread of life, Lachesis measures its length, and Atropos severs it. This is a story every Attican should be familiar with."

Ja'far was clever, but he was also curious. It seemed the promise of new knowledge had tempted him into letting down his guard.

Amaltheia hurried to cover for him. "Yes, well, the Parthevians are discouraging many of the old ways. I'm afraid our culture is being lost to the younger generation, especially those who lost their parents in the invasion."

"Echo, you're old enough to know the old ways. You should be teaching your brother," Lachesis said. "You remember Princess Thalia, don't you? It was her immoral behavior that turned the goddess against us in the first place."

Thalia's mouth went dry, shame coiling itself in the pit of her stomach. "Do you really believe that?"

"Of course!" Atropos made a hocking noise. "If it weren't for her improper behavior…"

Amaltheia stopped rummaging around in her bag. "Atropos, please."

"No, she's right!" Lachesis scowled. "That girl's flagrant disregard for the old ways brought on the goddess's wrath. Everyone knows it."

Klotho leaned forward, lowering her voice. "I heard the guards gossiping. Apparently she was living as a slave in Reim for years."

"How shameful…"

"A lazy sow that gapes after other women, I've heard."

"That's enough gossip." Ja'far ordered. Thalia was trembling, and to her side, Amaltheia had gone pale. It seemed unlikely she'd told these women about her relationship with Sappho, and hearing them talk like this had to have hurt her as much as it had Thalia. "There's no way to confirm the veracity of these rumors, and the princess isn't here to defend herself."

The women ceased their chatter. Thalia and Amaltheia couldn't have said anything to defend themselves, but because Ja'far was a man, the elderly sisters obeyed, however reluctantly.

"Thalia…" Amaltheia's voice came out strained. "Will you fetch some water for Lachesis's foot bath?"

Thalia nodded, grateful for the chance to escape. Ja'far followed her out of the building, helping her lift a large,empty vessel onto her head

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Thalia started walking, unsure how to answer. Those women didn't even know her, and they despised her. Did everyone here think the way they did? The high priestess had said Sappho was the only ally Thalia was going to find, and even Amaltheia had been reluctant to offer shelter at first. Thalia wasn't _that_ awful, was she? Though she'd started to accept the parts of herself she'd been taught to hate, her self-esteem was quickly eroding.

No one loved her. No one wanted her. She was a slave, the girl Marcus had raped, the child locked away in a temple for her unnatural curiosities.

She closed her eyes, biting back a bitter sob. Then Ja'far's hand landed on her arm, and she remembered. She did have people who loved her. She had Sinbad and Mystras and Rurumu and Hinahoho and Masrur and Drakon, and even Serendine— and she had Ja'far. Her life had been one long, dark night until they had come along. Now it seemed she would be entering another night, this one longer than the last, but the light had come once, and it could come again. As long as she kept them in her heart, she could ride out any night.

They fetched the water and tended to the three sisters. Though they couldn't see it, Thalia gave them her brightest smile. She complimented their hair, listened to their stories about their golden days. She did the same thing with the next houses they visited, ignoring the uncomfortable jabs at how women like her and Amaltheia should stick to women's work or find men to marry. Like it or not, these were her people. She existed to serve them.

Then, as the sun sank lower in the sky, Thalia and Ja'far parted ways with Amaltheia, and headed to the temple. Ja'far waited outside while Thalia entered.

Inside, The air was thick with incense so pungent that Thalia nearly choked on it. She coughed, waving her hand in front of her face.

"You came," the high priestess greeted her. "I was starting to think you'd run off again."

"I won't," Thalia said. "Not again."

The woman's lips twitched upward in approval. "Good." She led Thalia deep into the temple, down a staircase, deep into the earth, wading into the sacred underground spring used for healing. Thalia followed her to the raised stone slab in the middle of the water, the chilly water raising goosebumps on her flesh. "Now lay down and drink this." As Thalia lowered herself onto the cold surface, the priestess tipped a bowl to her lips.

Thalia sipped the sickly sweet mixture. "Now what?"

"Now I will pray." The high priestess moved toward the icon carved into the jagged stone wall and raised her hands to the sky. "Oh Asena, Defender of Attica, come to us and impart upon this wayward girl your wisdom. Open her eyes to your glory and cleanse her of her rebellion. May she relinquish her wickedness and embrace you, weaver of destinies, guardian of…"

Thalia's eyelids fluttered as something pleasant began to lap at her stomach, like a warm ocean tide, ebbing and flowing, pulling her in deeper with each crest. It spread from her stomach to her chest, then to her heavy limbs. The priestess's chanting dulled to a quiet hum as Thalia's eyes drooped shut.

Then, silence.

* * *

A/N: Sorry this took so long! This chapter was torture to write, and I think it shows through in my writing :(. The good news is I can almost guarantee an update next week or the week after!

Please consider leaving a review if you enjoyed! After all the suffering (yes, writing this chapter was _g)_ I went through to get this out, some encouraging words would be nice. I know it's not my best writing. I'm hoping in a few months I'll be able to go back with fresh eyes and make this part prettier. Things should pick up from here on out, though.

Edit: I just had a stroke of inspiration. I might wrap Courage up at "Serendine's Confession" and then make the current arc the beginning of a sequel. I'm going to mull it over some more, but maybe let me know if you feel like the middle is kind of sagging right now. That'll help me make the decision.


	46. Happiness

"Princess, please raise your arms."

Thalia's eyes snapped open. She was submerged in the hot water of the bath in the balnaeion. A servant hovered over her, patiently waiting for Thalia to allow her to finish her work.

"Did I fall asleep just now?" Thalia wondered aloud as she raised her arms for the slave to scrub her down.

"You did." Sappho's voice carried over from the back of the room. Thalia craned her neck to look at her favorite slave. Black ringlets draped over delicate shoulders, framing a maturing face. That's right, Thalia remembered. They were the same age. Seventeen.

"Sappho, I had the strangest dream," Thalia mumbled, looking at the ceiling. "My parents were going to marry me to Nerva Julius of all people, and you helped me escape. Then I was caught and enslaved, and I met this boy who introduced me to my new friends, and we went on all sorts of adventures..." Thalia frowned, bringing her hand to her forehead as the details fled from her mind.

"That's a strange dream indeed," Sappho agreed. "Are you ready to get dressed, Princess? Your parents are waiting for you in the _megaron_."

"Parents?" Thalia asked, rising out of the water and allowing the maids to dry her off. "You mean Mother? Or Father?"

The two maids that had been assisting her stepped aside as Sappho approached and began rubbing her down with a towel, her hands wandering over Thalia's most intimate areas, leaving a tingling trail in their wake. "Both, of course."

"Both?" Thalia tensed in apprehension, remembering the beginning of her dream. Her parents spending time in the same room was never a good sign. "Is something wrong?"

"Princess, what's the matter? Why would you think there's something wrong?"

"They hate each other," Thalia reminded her slave.

"The king and queen made amends years ago. I've let you sit in the bath too long, and now your thoughts are all muddled." Sappho sighed, running the towel over Thalia's breasts.

Thalia's thoughts were indeed muddled, and being fondled by a pretty girl wasn't helping. She stepped away awkwardly, holding out her hand for the towel.

"I want to dry myself off from now on."

"But, Princess..."

Thalia shook her head, motioning for Sappho to hand her the cloth. Sappho reluctantly obeyed, and Thalia finished drying herself off, deciding Sappho was right. The hot bath had messed with her head, making her forget her parents' reconciliation.

Sappho helped Thalia dress, pulling out a sheer, teal peplos and pinning the sleeves. She then ushered Thalia into a chair and pulled her hair back into an updo, decorating it with golden pins.

Thalia touched one of the delicate ornaments. One of these would cost the average working person a week's salary. "Isn't this a little too much?"

"Not at all, Princess." Sappho smiled brightly, pinning a tiara into Thalia's elaborate hairstyle. "Tonight, you'll be attending the celebration of your recent engagement. Since your fiance will be there, I've been ordered to make you even more beautiful than usual."

Thalia's mouth went dry. "Fiance?"

"Yes." Sappho's forehead wrinkled. "Don't tell me you've forgotten him too. He's a wealthy merchant you met on a trip to Riem. You said it was love at first sight."

A merchant she met in Riem... that did sound incredibly familiar. "I told you I love him?"

"I've never seen two people more smitten." Sappho smoothed out Thalia's hair and admired her handiwork.

Thalia began to lead the way through the familiar halls of the women's quarters, marveling at the splendor of her own palace. It was nothing compared to the one in the Parthevian Empire, but it felt like it had been so long since she'd seen any of it— the intricate frescoes of scenes from her favorite myths, the golden braziers hanging from the ceiling, the colorful, silken draperies lining the walls.

Then Thalia stopped in her tracks, her wandering eyes landing on a pink-haired princess in the middle of the hall. It was Serendine, her childhood friend and crush. Looking at her now, an inexplicable spark of anger flared up in Thalia's chest. She furrowed her eyebrows, unable to remember what sort of argument could have triggered this sort of reaction. They usually got along, so why—?

Thalia's thoughts were cut short as Serendine embraced her, swiftly melting that strange rage away. "Congratulations on your engagement!" she squealed. "To be honest, I worried that you'd never move on when I rejected the proposal your father sent me. You used to be head over heels. It was flattering, but... I'm sorry I couldn't return your feelings."

"My father... sent you a proposal? Like... a marriage proposal?"

King Hypatos, champion of the old ways, the man who had locked her in a temple and ordered her to pray for forgiveness, had done such a thing? How was that possible?

Pulling away, Serendine nodded. "You don't remember? It took him a while to come around to the idea that you liked girls, but he eventually did. He realized that's just how you are, Thalia. Boy, girl— it doesn't matter for you. He decided he wanted to support you, even if it goes against tradition because he loves you."

"He... loves me." Thalia repeated the words, a shock of joy shooting through her. It was too good to be true, but the idea was lovely.

Serendine cocked her head to the side. "You don't believe me."

Thalia's silence spoke louder than any answer she could have given. Men like him didn't change. Hadn't Serendine been the one who said so? Or was that another conjuring of Thalia's confused mind?

Serendine's lips pulled into a thin line. "Is something wrong? You told me he's been good to you lately."

Thalia pushed the concerned princess off her, wrapping her arms around herself. "Did I really say that?"

Eyes wide, Serendine nodded.

"Forgive her," Sappho said, startling Thalia. She had disappeared into the background, as she was so skilled at doing. "She's disoriented from soaking in the bath for too long. Princess Thalia, you and your father have regarded one another fondly for some time now. You buried your grievances years ago."

Thalia lightly brushed her hand against the sharp ornaments in her hair, letting out a small, irritated breath. It didn't feel right. Hadn't he done something awful? Unforgivable? She hadn't dreamed that, had she?

Serendine's hand landed on Thalia's arm, drawing her out of her fretful state. "If you don't believe me, go talk to him. He's waiting with Kayra and Simay in the throne room."

Thalia gave a subdued nod, shifting her gaze over Serendine's shoulder to the ornate double doors at the end of the hall. "Sappho, let's go."

She could feel Serendine's warm eyes on her back as she approached the _megaron_ , what Serendine had called the throne room, but only Sappho's nearly inaudible footsteps followed. She supposed Serendine had only come to offer her congratulations and wouldn't be attending the banquet. It was just as well. Despite what the others kept insisting, Thalia was certain the dinner would be a disaster. Her mother would be drunk and spiteful, her father domineering and disapproving. Kayra would remain composed, the picture of elegance, and this merchant from Reim Thalia had apparently fallen head over heels for would spend most of his time comparing the two sisters. He would quickly realize how dull and pathetic Thalia was in comparison.

Two guards opened the door, revealing the grand, circular hearth in the middle of the room. A fire burned brightly, illuminating the walls. The shadows it cast were strange, unsettlingly distorted, but Thalia paid them no mind, for on the other side of the towering pyre sat her mother and father in twin thrones, their heads held high. Kayra's melodious laughter drifted across the room from a couch positioned by their sides.

"Dear father, where do you get these ideas? No, I can't say such a thing is common on the mainland."

A guard cleared his throat. "Your Majesty, her royal highness Princess Thalia has arrived."

"Oh?" Hypatos stood, his arms held out as if he expected Thalia to run into them. At his side, her mother's unusual smile brightened, and Kayra sat up on the couch, her beautiful, honey eyes locking on Thalia.

Thalia stood frozen, drinking in their faces, flushed with pleasure and unmistakable lifeblood. This wasn't her family, was it? Where was the tension, the shouting? Where was her father's contempt, her mother's drunken sway, her sister's barely restrained fury toward her father?

"Dearest Thalia, what's wrong?" her father asked.

"She looks like she's seen a ghost, doesn't she?" Kayra's eyebrows furrowed together.

"You're shaking." Her mother rushed toward her, lacking her usual stumble, and placed unfamiliar hands on her back. Thalia did not know this touch. In all her life, she had not experienced its warmth, its tender affection, its motherly concern. As she was ushered forward, she burned it into her mind, terrified she would never again be treated like this.

Her father stepped forward, placing a large, reassuring hand on her forehead. She had never known this touch either, the comfort and protection of paternal affection. Through bleary eyes, she searched for the disapproval she was so familiar with, but all that was written on his face was concern, and something she dared to hope was love.

"You don't have a fever," he mused. "Will you be alright for the banquet? I know how much you were looking forward to it, but if you don't feel up to it—"

"I 'm up for it!" Thalia threw her arms around him, burying her face in his chest to muffle her joyous sobbing. She didn't care that she was ruining the makeup Sappho had so skillfully applied. She finally had her family together in one room, and they were getting along. She didn't know how she felt about this mysterious fiance of hers, but it didn't matter. Her family was happy. She was happy. She wouldn't give up this dinner if it killed her.

Quickly, she realized she had acted rashly. She had raised her voice and touched the king, and she tensed, waiting for her father's reproach. Instead, his hand landed on the back of her head this time as he let out a chuckle.

"You're as willful as ever, my little Princess." He said it fondly, as though he were proud, and Thalia clung to him harder. He accepted her. She hadn't needed to force herself to be someone she wasn't.

A smaller hand landed on her back, delicate like her mother's, but Thalia knew this touch. It was Kayra's, but usually, it was meant to steer Thalia away from some mischief, not to comfort. Her sister rubbed her back soothingly.

"Honestly, Thalia, you'll look like a raccoon if you keep this up. Let me fix your makeup."

Thalia looked up, blinking her tears away, and nodded. As Kayra dabbed her sister's face with a rag, she studied it carefully.

"You've always had the most beautiful eyes, dear Sister."

"They're not that unusual." Thalia sniffled, the cloth tugging at her cheek as her sister firmly wiped away the kohl that must have been streaming down her cheeks. "They look just like Father and Grandfathers. I think half the population of Attica has similar eyes."

"I know." Kayra finished cleaning her up and studied her handiwork, gripping her by the shoulders. "And I love that part of you."

Thalia nearly burst into tears once more but refrained. Her sister had just cleaned her up once. She would hate to make her do it again.

Just then, her father's voice bellowed jubilantly as the sound of the double doors closing echoed through the hall. "Ah, you're here! Welcome, my boy!"

Thalia turned around to see who her father was talking to. Could it be her mysterious fiance? The one she was smitten with? Thalia had thought the others must have been exaggerating her affection for her husband to be, but as soon as she saw him, her heart jumped into her throat. At that moment, she realized that, if anything, the others had understated her love for this man.

Thalia mindlessly stepped down from the dais, pulled toward him as though by an invisible thread. She knew him— knew the hand pressed into a fist against his chest as he knelt with his head bowed before her, knew the purple hair that spilled over his shoulder. It felt surreal. She could not remember how they had met, yet he was the most familiar person in the room. She stopped in front of him, cupping her hands under his chin and gently raising his head to see his face.

His golden irises seemed to pierce her soul, chasing away any lingering unease at her confused state of mind. Thalia had once heard that in some parts of the east, they thought that souls don't return to the rukh, but are instead reborn into different bodies. At this moment, she believed this wholeheartedly because she felt she had known this man for many lifetimes.

"Sin..." she breathed.

His eyes glittered with fond amusement as he took one of her hands in his own and brought it to his lips.

"Princess, I'm flattered you missed me."

Something tried to push its way to the fore of her mind, and the words that fell from her tongue next were strange. "We're getting married? I thought you said you had no intention to do something like that... I thought you didn't even want to be friends..."

She couldn't remember why she thought that, but it seemed right. They surely must have had this conversation at some point. Why else would she say such a thing?

He smiled at her quizzically, cocking his head to the side. "When did I say anything like that? From the moment we met, I've always had my heart set on you."

They were beautiful words, such as any girl would hope to hear from the man she loved. Yet, they didn't ring true in the slightest. Still, she knew him, and she knew when he was lying. His words carried no deceit.

"I'm sorry. I've said something strange."

"Thalia, love, is something the matter?" Kayra asked curiously. "You seem a bit... untethered."

She smiled weakly at her family behind her. "Truthfully, my memories seem to be a bit scrambled at the moment. I don't remember Mother and Father reconciling or Serendine receiving a proposal or the engagement to Sinbad. All I remember is..."

Loneliness. Rejection. Pain. Despair. Hatred.

"You've lost your memories?" Thalia's mother gasped. "This is serious. Should we summon a doctor?"

"Please, no." Thalia smiled sheepishly. "I'm sure they'll return quickly. I just sat in the bath for too long. That's all."

Sinbad's large, comforting hand landed on her shoulder. "If you have any questions, feel free to ask any of us. Everyone here cares for you."

The others nodded in agreement, and Thalia took her place reclining on the couch next to Sinbad. Servants brought in dishes of lamb, greens, lentils, cheeses, and bread as they feasted and chattered. Sinbad impressed her parents with tales of his adventures, and in turn, they praised him for his dedication to their daughter. The moment was perfect, and when she had finished her dessert of figs, she felt relaxed enough to sit on the floor by her future husband as he stroked her hair fondly. Rather than balking at the impropriety, her family remarked that they looked happy together. Thalia beamed. She was indeed happy

After dinner, Sinbad swept her up like a bride and shamelessly intruded in the women's quarters— with her father's permission, no less. He carried her to her room and laid her on her bed, crawling in with her. As he leaned in for a kiss, Thalia pressed a hand to his chest, stopping him.

"Sin, is it really okay to be alone like this?" she asked anxiously. Wouldn't there be gossip? Rumors? Wouldn't she be barred from wearing jewelry for the rest of her life, a silent announcement to all that she had lain with a man before marriage?

He smiled. "Of course. We're engaged now. Who's going to say anything?" He leaned in the rest of the way, pressing a warm kiss to her cheek.

Once, there had been a legendary king with the power to turn anything that he touched to gold. Sinbad had a similar ability. Everywhere he touched her, her body melted like a goldsmith's work, ready to be molded in any way he desired. Sighing happily, she decided she would give herself to him. As his kisses traveled down her neck, she realized she already had. He handled her with the familiarity of someone who'd explored this same path thousands of times, perhaps during midnight trysts in the garden, or maybe in this very room. Her memories might be confused, but there was one thing she knew for certain: she loved this merchant from Reim. There was no doubting it.

She brought a hand to his chin, prying his attention away from her chest so that she could look into those beautiful eyes again.

Letting out a small chuckle, he went straight for her lips, teasing her tongue with his. It was a strange way of kissing, but it felt wonderful. Her stomach bubbled like a shining brook, fluttered like a butterfly's wings, and, wrapping her legs around his waist, she pulled him closer. She ached for more than a kiss.

He understood her silent request, and his hand brushed against her shoulder, tugging at the edge of her himation. This touch, however, was unfamiliar. It was clammy, and when she glanced down at his hand, instead of his usual bronzed complexion, the skin was sallow, yellow and sickly. When she looked back to his face, it was no longer his. It was a boy with short blond hair and eyes like an ocean god's. His lips parted into a cruel grin, and she closed her eyes, too terrified to scream. She recognized this as an image from her dream, a boy who had defiled her.

"Thalia?"

It was Sinbad's voice, and the warm body against her pulled away. When she opened her eyes, the phantom from her dream was gone, and in his place was her fiance. Sinbad now sat at a respectful distance, his brows pulled together in concern. Thalia shot up, burying her head between her knees as heavy pants wracked her body.

"What's wrong?" he asked, running his hand over her back soothingly. "Did I hurt you?"

She shook her head, burning with painful humiliation. "I had a bad dream earlier, and it scared me. That's all."

Sinbad wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his chest. He smelled strongly of the ocean, like the breeze that whispered in through the balcony. Allowing herself to relax, Thalia clung to his fragrant, pink vest. This was where she belonged, in this man's arms. She was safe here.

As one hand stroked her hair affectionately, he pulled her more tightly against him. "You know it was just a dream, right? I'd never let anyone hurt you."

The image of Sinbad in a slave uniform and collar, his face crumpled with guilt, flashed into her mind.

"What if you were powerless to stop it?" she whispered. "What if we were both powerless?"

With his finger, he tilted her chin up until their eyes met. His expression hummed with gentle concern, his purple brows knitting themselves together. "Thalia, what's gotten into you tonight? When have I ever let anyone hurt you?"

"I don't know," she answered shakily. "I don't know what's real and what was part of that dream. The only thing I know for certain is that I love you." She cupped his face with her hands, wet tears streaming down her cheeks. "I want to marry you. I want to be your wife."

His full lips twisted into a warm, lopsided grin as he wiped a tear off her cheek with his thumb. "Do you remember the day we met?"

Thalia blinked. Of course. How could she ever forget? He was her savior. "You saved me from those men who were trying to hurt me," she recalled as his thumb stroked her cheek. Each touch left a tingling trail that shot straight to her stomach, kicking up a flurry of tingles.

"Give yourself some credit. You hardly needed me." His eyes took on a far off look as he recounted their first meeting. "You had a terrible habit of ditching your father's guards, and some men tried to rob you outside of my company's headquarters. I rushed out when I noticed the commotion." He let out a soft chuckle. "Normally, I would have taken on those guys in seconds, but as I was charging at them, I looked back, and I saw you. It was like lightning crashed down on me. I couldn't move. I couldn't think. I was helpless."

Thalia ran her hair through the loose hairs that escaped his ponytail. "It sounds just like a story."

"But it was real, and those men were moments away from rending me through. You were the one who saved me." He pressed a soft, quick kiss against her lips. "While I was still paralyzed, you took the sword from me and fended them off."

Thalia flushed with pride. "I'm good with swords?"

"You're amazing with swords," he corrected her. "It was a pleasure to watch. Though, I wasn't about to let a lady outshine me. I had a reputation to uphold." He winked playfully. "I picked up a sword that one of the thieves had dropped and joined the fray. Fighting side by side with you..." He paused, letting out a short laugh. "...That was when I knew you were the one. I've never synchronized with anybody like that. It was like we were made for each other."

Clinging to her beloved fiercely, Thalia let loose a quiet sob. She didn't understand what had happened to her memories, but compared to that awful dream, her life now was a paradise. It was just like she'd always imagined as a child.

"Hey." Sinbad stroked her hair affectionately. "I think I know what will cheer you up." Standing up, he took her by the hand and guided her through the maze-like palace halls in the direction of the front gates. As Thalia realized where they were going, her feet began to slow until he was dragging her along. She couldn't bear to face the empty streets, the angry glares. She couldn't do it.

Sinbad glanced over his shoulders, concern clouding over his handsome face. "Thalia, you love spending time with your people. What's wrong?"

Thalia opened her mouth, but she couldn't answer him. She couldn't remember why she was so ashamed. She just knew that she'd failed them horribly.

He smiled at her warmly. "It must be that dream again. Come on, you'll be fine."

The guards opened the gates, and he led her into the streets where Attica's citizens bustled about. The air was filled with shouting and lively laughter, and Sinbad and Thalia could barely squeeze their way through the crowd. One by one, her citizens began to recognize her, scrambling to exchange words with her.

"Princess, congratulations on your engagement!"

"May Asena bless your union!"

"We love you, Princess! Thank you for all that you do!"

These people didn't hate her, she realized. What reason did they have? It wasn't like she'd abandoned them. Suddenly, she felt like an idiot. She smiled at an elderly woman, taking her hand and thanking her for her well-wishes.

She then turned her smile to her fiance, who had his arm wrapped around her proudly. For the first time, everything in her life was perfect. She was overflowing with warmth and love. Her people were happy, and she was happy. Everyone was happy, and she hadn't had to sacrifice anything.

She knew what she needed to do. She needed to make amends with the goddess Asena. She needed to apologize for being bitter and angry for so many years. She'd thought because the goddess wasn't answering her prayers, she didn't exist, but surely Thalia's life hadn't turned around on its own. Asena had finally restored her favor to Thalia and her country; it was truly a miracle. Thalia needed to pray.

"Sin, let's go to the temple," she told him, tugging on his arm. He laughed agreeably as they weaved their way through the crowd, toward the vast temple complex. As they dove into the privacy of its gates, Thalia was so overcome with joy, she practically danced into the main building, dragging her fiance along with her. They would pray together to thank Asena for her blessings.

The inside of the temple was even more splendid than the palace. The circular room was lined with polished, white marble pillars, and inside the alcoves carved into the walls, jewel-encrusted gifts to Asena perched proudly. moonlight rained down through a hole in the ceiling, illuminating the goddess's statue, which must have been recently repainted by an incredibly skilled artisan. Asena's flaxen hair and grey eyes had never seemed so realistic, and the flush on her face made her look alive. She stood proudly with her sword and shield at the ready, a golden helmet crowning her head like a tiara. This was Attica's protector. For years, Thalia had found her intimidating, but now, underneath her agate gaze, Thalia felt safe.

Thalia and her fiance approached the statue and stood tall with her hands raised, motioning for Sinbad to join her. He gave her a curious glance before mimicking her.

Thalia closed her eyes and began an incantation. "O goddess who protects our land, Great Asena; I, your humble servant, have come here today to offer thanks for the blessings you have bestowed upon my family and my people—"

A strangled cry came out from next to her, accompanied by the sharp noise of a blade rending through fresh. Her eyes snapped open, cold horror racing through her veins as she took in the scene beside her. Sinbad, slumped limply, held up only by the golden sword lodged in his chest. Blood trickled from the side of his mouth as his head lulled backwards.

"Sin?"

He didn't answer.

Her eyes followed the sharp blade to find the statue of the goddess on the other end. Asena was no longer on her pedestal and was now lowering Thalia's bloody fiance to the floor, kicking his body to free her sword.

Why…?

Thalia collapsed to her knees, pulling her beloved into her lap. She used her hands in an attempt to stop the bleeding, but the hot, red liquid seeped through her fingers. Though Sinbad's eyes locked on her, they were quickly losing focus.

"No! Don't leave me! You can't—"

"Pathetic," the goddess muttered. "How dare you bring this boy into my hallowed grounds."

Her beloved let out a rasping breath, and Thalia hugged him protectively to her chest wracking with sobs. His lifeblood seeped through the fabric of her himation, hot and wet. This wasn't happening. He wasn't going to die— she could fix this. She just needed hot water and she could clean his wounds, just like she had on Ria Venus Island. She couldn't let it get infected, because… because… he wasn't dying. He couldn't be.

"Don't shed tears for him, my child. He is not for you." The goddess's shadow fell upon Thalia. "This has been a lovely dream for you, I'm sure, but I've come to wake you up."

"Wake me… up?" Thalia pulled him more tightly against her as a moan came from his lips. He was in pain. He was suffering. Why had Asena done this? Cowering, she dared to gaze up at the steely-eyed goddess.

"I don't understand." Thalia ran her fingers through Sinbad's hair, trying to comfort him. As a searing pain tore through her chest, hot tears spilled down her cheek. He brought a trembling hand to her face, stroking her jaw as though trying to tell her to stop crying, but she couldn't. It hurt so badly. She loved this man. How could anyone hurt him like this? She needed to help him. Someone needed to help him. "Help!" she screamed, her voice tearing from her throat. Surely someone would hear her. The high priestess and her acolytes possessed some medical knowledge. If they hurried, maybe they could save him. "Please, someone!"

The goddess watched Thalia panic with disdain. "You ridiculous girl, do you still not understand? The boy in your arms is a figment of your imagination. You're asleep, child. You've drank a sleeping draft."

Thalia stammered, trying to wrap her head around what was happening. The Sinbad dying in her arms wasn't real, but he certainly looked it. Anxiety coursed through her veins as his shallow breathing stopped entirely. She tore at her hair, despair gripping her like a vice. It didn't matter if he was real or not; seeing him like this was too much to bear.

"Go on. Resurrect him," the goddess mocked her. "Bring him back and have him vanquish me. This is your dream. You should be in control, right?"

Her words hit Thalia like a ton of bricks. Of course. Why hadn't she thought of it before? Shifting him onto the floor, she placed her hands over his chest, willing life to flow into him. She was a powerful sorceress, and in this realm, she was stronger than any goddess. When her eyes opened, he would sit up, and they would leave this place. She would enjoy the rest of her pleasant dream until the elixir wore off, and then she would never set foot in the temple again, awake or in a dream. This place was poison.

When she dared to look, he remained motionless.

"You think you can save a country without me?" Asena sneered. "You can't even save a single boy in your own dream. You're weak, Thalia Alexandris."

Wracking sobs took hold of Thalia's body as she realized the goddess was right. Even in her dreams, she couldn't defy her unhappy fate.

"Let me tell you something, child. You'll do well to listen." The goddess bent down, her cold, stony hand brushing the hair out of Thalia's face. "You were not born to serve your people, nor your husband, nor yourself." She gripped Thalia's hair, forcing her to look into her gray eyes. "You exist to serve me."

Thalia wondered what the goddess would do if she spit in her face, but decided not to test it. Asena didn't seem like part of a dream. She was too vivid, like something beyond the confines of waking and dreaming. She was something else entirely.

"That boy is reckless and naive. You've seen it yourself; he'll destroy my country within the year. You're simply too enamored to acknowledge it."

Thalia stared hollowly at the goddess. "Sinbad would have been the best king Attica has ever seen." He would have been greater than Thyestes Alexandris, her grandfather several generations back and the man who had seen Attica reach its peak.

Asena's lips pulled into a grim line."Your youth blinds you. I have watched children like you led astray for millennia. Even I was once a girl, my head filled with stories and nothing else. Wisdom is hard-earned, and I have earned more than any, so take heed. There is one man with the power to protect Attica from the consequences of your foolishness— that half Fanalis boy from Reim. His family has Reim's Emperor at his beck and call, and that is the only power great enough to fend off Parthevia."

Thalia resented being called a child, but she spoke the words of one regardless. "But I don't love him."

"When has marriage," Asena said, her words dripping with contempt, "ever been about love?"

Thalia fell silent. There was nothing to say, no response or argument because what Asena said was true. For someone of her station, marriage was about the retention of power and the propagation of the bloodline. Nothing else mattered, least of all her feelings on the matter.

"If I marry him," Thalia said quietly, "you'll restore your favor to Attica?"

Pointing the bloodied sword at Thalia's neck, Asena narrowed her eyes. "You'll need to do more than that. You, daughter of my bloodline, will carry out my commands without question. This country rose under my guidance, and if you stray, it will fall."

Thalia knew that this was only a dream, but the threat felt real nonetheless. If the sword slit her throat, she would never wake— that was what her instincts told her.

She stared at Sinbad's lifeless body for a moment, thinking how much she wanted to abandon everything to be with him. He'd once asked her what her dream was, and she'd told him it was to take back Attica, but that had been out of a sense of duty. What she really wanted, what she could never have, was to abandon everything and follow him. She wanted to have an ordinary job in his brand new country and earn her living like everyone else. She wanted control over her life, over her own future.

Thalia had never wanted to be a queen, not if it meant she had to give up her own happiness. The old ways were so archaic and rigid. How could she be happy if she had to abide by them? She had promised she wouldn't deny that part of her anymore, that little girl who had liked another girl. If she enforced the old ways, that would make her a hypocrite, the worst kind. The image of Sappho and Amaltheia holding hands and gazing at each other fondly played itself in her head. How would she ever look them in the eye again? How could she sacrifice their happiness? But Thalia couldn't do anything on her own, and there were so many other people counting on her. She needed Asena's help because she was a worthless pawn.

Her people's needs came before hers. She had an obligation because of the position she was born into. If nothing else, she could protect the people of Attica.

Closing her dead fiance's eyelids, she braced herself to return to the hell that was the waking world. From now on, she would let go of him completely. Their friendship and her love would be laid to rest.

The goddess was powerful, and when confronted with a bigger enemy, there was only one thing Thalia knew to do.

* * *

 **A/N: I, being a disaster, have indeed tacked on this last part of the chapter, which I should have never tried to separate. If you are one of the 8 people who read before, I'm sorry.**


	47. Celebrations

" _I can't help you, Sappho. I'm sorry."_

* * *

The capital of Parthevia, Csitephon, sprawled out before Sinbad, welcoming him home. On the ship here, he had experienced mixed feelings about returning to this country. Three years ago, he had set out to save it but his sights had since been set higher. He was going to become a king, but first, he had to return home.

A ringed hand landed on his shoulder. "How does it feel to return to your homeland?"

Sinbad turned around, addressing King Rashid. "To be honest, I'm not sure… but I can say it's nostalgiac."

The food, the people, the buildings… he could never find this anywhere else. Yet, coming back, he felt like an outsider. The poor boy who'd grown up on these streets was gone forever. He was a man now, seventeen-years-old, and his world extended far beyond these borders. He'd built a life, started a company, fallen in love and broken a heart, and none of that had happened here.

There was also the matter of the rumors of inhumane experiments and the quashing of political dissidents to consider. He had come to investigate these atrocities, to find out about them for himself. If Thalia could put her life in danger to gather information, he could too.

Adjusting the tasseled cap of his guard uniform, he glanced around anxiously. In the itinerary Ja'far had discussed with him before heading out with Thalia, her small faction was supposed to be boarding a ship back to Balbadd about now. Sinbad might very well run into them. He hoped he would, if only to be sure they were okay.

"Sinbad, you're a wanted man in this country," his mentor reminded him sternly. "Don't forget you're here as a part of my escort."

"I won't," Sinbad assured him. He had too much to lose.

King Rashid craned his neck, looking past Sinbad. "Those are your friends, right? You didn't tell me they would be here."

Sinbad whipped around, searching for Ja'far and Thalia. He spotted Muu first, the red hair standing out clearly in a crowd of black and brown. Behind him were two women, one with black hair, the other blonde. They held hands, gawking like tourists. Ja'far was in the front, pointing toward a ship.

Sinbad found Thalia last. She seemed to take up less space than usual. Her hands folded demurely in front of her, she walked beside Muu with her gaze cast to the ground. A serene smile sat on her face, an expression that Sinbad knew to be unnatural. The first time he'd seen it, she'd been terrified. Then, over the time he'd known her, he'd seen it repeatedly when she was hiding something. She hadn't worn that smile in so long. What had happened?

Marching toward them, Rashid gestured for Sinbad to follow. "Come. I'd like to say hello."

Sinbad hung back for a moment, debating whether he could feasibly talk Rashid out of this. Thalia and Ja'far were okay, and that was all he personally needed to know. Otherwise, he fully intended to avoid Thalia. Then, he realized he was slacking on his guard duties and rushed back to the king's side.

"Ja'far, Thalia. It's good to see you again."

Thalia bent her knees in a graceful curtsey, and Ja'far bowed at the waist. Neither of them had noticed Sinbad's presence yet. If he was lucky, it might stay that way.

"Greetings, your majesty," Thalia said. She kept her head tilted modestly downward, gazing up at Rashid through her eyelashes. It was feminine, mysterious, and didn't suit her at all. "What brings you to Parthevia?"

"I could ask you the same question." Rashid tilted his head. "This isn't exactly the safest place for you."

"Ja'far and I were merely scouting out two new employees for the Sindria Trading Company," Thalia lied smoothly. She ushered the two women he'd seen earlier to her side. "Sappho and Amaltheia are refugees who escaped Attica. When word reached us of their talents, we had to hire them."

The raven-headed woman forced the blonde woman into a bow.

Rashid turned his head to the tall half-Fanalis. "And if I'm not mistaken, you're Muu Alexius, son of Tiberius Alexius. It's a pleasure to meet you. I am King Rashid of Balbadd."

Muu bowed dutifully. "It's an honor to meet you, King Rashid."

As the two men talked, Thalia's eyes slid over until they locked on Sinbad. The last time he'd seen her, they'd parted on decent terms, which was why he found her reaction odd. Her mouth fell open, the color draining from her face. It was as though she were seeing a ghost. When she broke eye-contact, she hugged herself tightly, squeezing her eyes shut before that fake smile slid back into place.

"And you're also a friend of Sinbad?" Rashid inquired of Muu.

"Actually, I'm here because of Thalia."

"And your relation to her is…?" Rashid raised an eyebrow.

"She and I are engaged."

Thalia smiled brightly, fiddling with the silver ring on her left middle finger. Next to it sat a glittering gold ring inlaid with brilliant jewels. "Praise Asena for sending such a capable husband my way."

A hollow buzzing sensation started up in Sinbad's chest. Less than a month ago, this same girl that had begged him to marry her, insisted she would stay single forever if they couldn't be together. How could she have moved on so quickly? When he'd rejected her, he'd known this was a possibility, but he'd imagined this day to be years away, when they'd both had time to move on. He wasn't ready to let go yet.

Forcing a polite smile, Sinbad stepped forward. "Congratulations."

Thalia's serene expression faltered, and when she spoke, her voice cracked. "Thank you. It is… a joyous occasion."

Yet, aside from the bright, false expression on Thalia's face and the uncomfortable one on Muu's, no one was smiling.

Rashid cleared his throat and offered his congratulations before pulling Sinbad away. "It's best not to talk to them too long," he whispered. "We could raise suspicions. Aside from that…" He placed a comforting hand on Sinbad's shoulder. "It wasn't so long ago you came to me asking for help in courting Thalia. I know this must be a disappointment."

"Please, don't worry about me." Sinbad smiled dutifully. "I'm here as your escort, not your student. What kind of a guard would I be if I let you get involved in my personal life?"

Rashid smiled kindly, returning his palms to his side.

"We've been awaiting your arrival, King Rashid."

Sinbad spun around to find a man in armor. His short hair was a mossy green, much like Drakon's had been before he'd merged with his houshold vessel. He bowed, his scaled golden armor gleaming in the sunlight. "It's been a long time. Welcome to Parthevia."

Sinbad had never met this man before, but he instantly recognized him. He was the man who'd sent his own brother into a dungeon in hopes that he wouldn't return. He had forced Serendine to flee her country and killed her father, and he had led the attack against Attica. This man had ruined three of his friend's lives.

His name rolled from Sinbad's tongue unbidden. "General Barbarossa."

Barbarossa tucked in his chin, an amused smile spreading across his lips. Sinbad tensed, unsure what the strange reaction meant.

"Forgive me. It's been a while since I was called that."

"That's right," Rashid said. "You haven't heard. He's retired from his position in the military and is now serving as the leader of the Independent Nationalist Party."

"Leader of a political party? What the hell?" Sinbad could hear Thalia chiding him about decorum, could feel his pretense as a simple escort fading away as he ignored her advice. He was drawing attention to himself, something she had always advised him against during their charade on Ria Venus Island.

Barbarossa laughed. "I'm not surprised you haven't heard of it. A political party is an organization formed by those with shared political views. The party that is chosen by popular vote controls the government on behalf of the people. It's a completely different system from our former absolute monarchy. I retired from my role as general and now am now acting as a member of this party, no different from an ordinary citizen."

"What are you saying, Lord Barbarossa?" Rashid let out a barbed chuckle. "Your party won the election by a landslide. The leader of the party in power has tremendous influence over the government. Calling yourself an ordinary citizen is beyond modest."

Thanks to witnessing similar moments with Thalia, Sinbad recognized the cutting edge in Rashid's words. On the surface, they were polite, even complimentary, but just beneath the surface was the truth: Rashid was calling out Barbarossa on his lie. It was a power move.

" _Don't think you can fool me,"_ Rashid had said.

"That's not true. We won the election thanks to the support of the party members. We're a group of likeminded members who have come together to change the country with our own hands." Barbarossa gestured to the men flanking him. "A Parthevia Empire for the sake of the Parthevian people— that is the goal of our Independent Nationalist Party." His eyes landed on Sinbad. "By the way, aren't you going to introduce us? I'd like to meet the man beside you, King Rashid."

Rashid was silent for just a moment too long.

"Even if you won't tell me, I already know who he is. Rumors have already spread about him worldwide. You're him, aren't you? The Dungeon Conquerer Sinbad?"

 _Shit._ Sinbad had given himself away, hadn't he? He'd been too interested in Parthevian politics, and he didn't even look Balbaddian. Why had he believed he could pull this off? He glanced at the men surrounding Barbarossa, calculating his chances of escape. He pointed his spear out, daring anyone to approach him. With a little luck, he would be able to fend everyone off and flee to a ship. The one Thalia and Ja'far had boarded would be leaving any moment. He would be safe there.

"Wait, don't panic." Barbarossa gave him a friendly smile. "I'm no longer a soldier. I have no interest in capturing you. To the contrary, as a fellow Parthevian, I'm proud of your accomplishments. Conquerer of a dungeon, leader of a formidable trading company, and an extraordinary hero. There's no one who hasn't heard of your adventures. You're a spectacular person. To drive someone as accomplished as you out of the country would be unthinkable. I welcome you, Sinbad."

Sinbad returned his spear to its proper position, eying the man warily. He had not expected any form of mercy from the one who'd hurt so many of his friends.

"Sinbad, this is the chance to see with your own eyes the true state of Parthevia," King Rashid nudged him forward. "Use your own judgment instead of listening to the stories of others."

* * *

Cutting off her feelings again wasn't hard. The image of Sinbad's corpse wouldn't leave Thalia's mind. It haunted her thoughts, seeping into every single one, and so she had a constant reminder: Stay low. Be quiet. Keep your head down. He's not for you, Thalia. He never was.

Muu sat next to her on the boat, his posture rigid. He stared at her hand for a full minute before taking it. Resentment swelled in her chest— how _dare_ he think he could take the place of her husband?

But, of course, he wasn't exactly thrilled either. He was at least trying. Thalia should try too. After all, when the wedding was over, she would have to consummate it. The thought made her physically ill, so she pushed it aside. She would cross that bridge when she came to it.

"I was thinking," Muu began, staring at their hands. Hers fit perfectly in his, truly a match made in the heavens. "After the wedding, you should leave your position at the company and come away with me. We'll travel the world recruiting Fanalis for a couple of years, and once we have a proper unit, we'll take back Attica."

" _I like my job,"_ she wanted to say.

"There will be no need to quit. I won't be returning. I have to focus on the wedding."

"You like the people there, though" Muu said, almost as if to remind her. "I'm sure we'll be back in Balbadd pretty often. You'll be able to visit."

"I'm afraid I'll have to cut off contact with most of them. It's unbecoming of a lady of my station to associate with men outside the family. Rumors could start."

Muu shot Ja'far a pleading look, begging for an explanation. He'd been prying for answers since Thalia had returned from Attica a hollow shell of herself. When Thalia had remained tight-lipped, he began hounding Ja'far. As he had the last few times, Ja'far shrugged apologetically. He couldn't explain her shift in behavior either. All he knew was that Thalia had undergone some kind of ritual and come out a stranger.

Muu looked back to Thalia. "I don't care about rumors. I'd rather see you happy."

Thalia moved the muscles that made her smile. "I _am_ happy— happy to marry you." She placed a hand on his arm to prove it, resisting the urge to recoil. He stared at it skeptically. What ease there had been between them was gone, and in its place rose confusion and distrust. He probably couldn't understand why Thalia was suddenly so thrilled about marriage when before, she had been so reluctant. "As you said, we're soulmates."

His prying gaze told her that he didn't buy her act for a second.

In the corner of the room, Sappho and Amaltheia exchanged hushed whispers. It had not been easy to convince Amaltheia to leave her homeland, but Thalia hadn't been able to keep her promise to Sappho. Life under Sinbad's rule would be kinder to them.

"They're cute together," Muu remarked as Sappho brushed a hair out of Amaltheia's face. Thalia agreed, but…

"Such unions are frowned upon by the goddess."

"Fuck the goddess." Amaltheia shot Thalia a seething glare. Sappho's reaction was less extreme. She let out a resigned sigh, not taking her eyes off her beloved.

Shoving her guilt back down, Thalia raised her head high. Though she had no right to force them to make a sacrifice for their country, it was for the greater good. If Thalia followed the old ways and guided Muu in them, Asena would restore her blessings and protect the people. That was what her vision had told her.

"We allowed you into our home," Amaltheia continued, her voice just above a whisper. "We let you eat our food, gave you _shelter_ , and you decide you're too high and mighty to treat us with respect. I can't wait to really meet this Sinbad guy because I'd be ashamed to live under a queen like you."

"Love, that's enough." Sappho took her girlfriend's hand and stroked it with her thumb. "I suspect this is as hard on the princess as anyone."

"Don't you dare defend her, not over this." Amaltheia snatched her hand away and stormed out of the cabin. Sappho chased after her, pausing at the door to bow as she took her leave. With the two women gone, a heavy silence settled over the remaining group.

Muu withdrew his touch, as though repelled by Thalia's heartlessness. Ja'far stared at her like she had two heads, and Thalia sat blinking back tears, regret burning in her chest. The road she was destined to take would be a lonely one. She would ruin lives, but she had to focus on the many, many more she would save.

"I think I'd like to return to my room," she said, standing up. "There's so much planning to do for the wedding."

* * *

"What did you think of Parthevia? You were shown around the city, saw our new politcal system, and met with His Royal Highness. You've seen pretty much everything there is to see." Barbarossa smiled at Sinbad, a cheery facade that matched Sinbad's experience over the last twenty-four hours. But, Sinbad couldn't shake the feeling that his kindness, like this flawless Parthevia, was an act. "Why the long face? There's still something bothering you, isn't there?"

As a matter of fact…

"Forgive me for speaking openly, but I still don't completely trust you. It's true that conditions have improved, and compared to wartime, the economy has grown bountiful. The absolute monarchy's tyrannical rule has ended, and smiles have returned to the people's faces… and yet, the magician Falan is still in the palace— the one who tried to kill Drakon and me in that first dungeon, and don't think I have forgotten the role you played in that." Sinbad bowed politely. "So, my doubts about this country have not been erased. Forgive me."

Barbarossa was silent for a long moment before he answered. "I see. Dairu, what are my plans for today?"

The eager young man next to Barbarossa leaped to answer his question. "After this, you have tea with Lady Kayra," Kayra… why did that name sound so familiar? "...then we're headed to meet with the electoral committee. This afternoon, you're scheduled to give a speech as the Party Leader at the Central Auditorium. Then, in the evening, you're to attend a dinner at the House of Lord's—"

"Cancel it all."

"Yes of course." Dairu blinked as his employer's words set in. "Huh? What am I to tell Her Ladyship? This is the fourth time this month—"

"I'm sure you can handle it."

"If I may be so bold, Lady Kayra has made great sacrifices for the sake of this country. If people perceive you as treating her poorly, I'm afraid your popularity will…"

Barbarossa rubbed his forehead. "Yes, fine. You're right. In that case, inform her that today I will be bringing a guest." Barbarossa placed a possessive arm around Sinbad's shoulder. "Do you mind if I borrow him for a while, King Rashid?"

"Huh?" Sinbad was so shocked, he almost didn't notice the way Barbarossa's touch made his skin crawl. Barbarossa was the last person he wanted to spend time with.

"Go ahead," Rashid said. Sinbad shot him a betrayed scowl as Barbarossa stepped back.

"This is your chance to learn everything you want to know," he said. "I have nothing to hide."

"It's a good opportunity, isn't it Sinbad?" Rashid smiled cheerfully. "After this, I have to begin negotiations. I won't have time to help you explore. Our ship doesn't depart for another three days. You should use this time to find answers."

Rashid was right— assuming Barbarossa didn't stab him in the back before those three days were up.

"Fine."

"Today, I intend to relax with you. but I'm afraid that first, I have an obligation I cannot break."

* * *

Lady Kayra… Sinbad couldn't shake the feeling he'd heard the name before. He sat in the parlor of an estate with Barbarossa. On the wall hung portraits of generations of women. His eyes landed on a beautiful woman, her hair dark like fine wine. Clear amber eyes stared out of the portrait, radiating with some hard to describe emotion— like joy, but softer. Though he was certain he had never met her, something about her struck him as familiar.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" A voice, lovely as any he'd ever heard, floated through the air. Sinbad turned to see a strikingly similar woman glide into the room, her hair tumbling in carefully groomed curls. She was different, with thinner lips and larger eyes, but there was no mistaking the family resemblance. Sinbad couldn't shake the feeling that something about her, too, was familiar. "That's my mother. I just recently found it in the attic. She and my late grandmother had a complicated relationship, but such beauty should not be hidden away, don't you agree?"

Sinbad nodded, unsure what to say. Something about this woman intimidated him despite her elegant looks. Like Barbarossa, he felt there was more to her than met the eye.

She turned her attention to Barbarossa. "You came. I was starting to think you were avoiding me."

"I would never."

Her lips pursed and her eyes narrowed, but she didn't say whatever she was thinking. "How goes the search for my sister?"

"The same as it has been for the last year. She hasn't been seen since Reim."

"Your sister is missing?" Sinbad blurted. He recalled Serendine saying Thalia had an older sister in Parthevia, and, judging by her acquaintance with Barbarossa, she hung around in the right social circles.

"Yes, she ran away some years ago." A single tear spilled down Kayra's cheek. "I was hard on her. We all were, but no one ever imagined…" She collapsed onto a couch, burying her head in her hands. "If I could just find her, I'd never let her go again."

The display of grief before him tugged at Sinbad's heartstrings. His desire to help warred with his concern for Thalia's safety until he couldn't hold himself back anymore. "What was her name?"

But he hadn't needed to ask. When the woman looked up, he realized she had Thalia's slightly hooked nose. On Kayra's face, balanced by her large eyes, it was the perfect size. On Thalia, it was just a little too big. He glanced back of at the portrait of the mother, where the same nose sat gracefully on her face. Thalia had her mother's nose.

"Her name was Thalia." Kayra said. "Though, I'm told she went by Echo when that vile woman…" Overcome with emotion, she let out a sob.

"Sinbad." Barbarossa leaned forward. "I'm told you were a slave under the same master for some time. You would have run into her, yes?"

Sinbad swallowed thickly, his eyes darting from the devastated sister to the man he knew was partially responsible for the downfall of Thalia's country. He wished he were as adept a liar as Thalia, but words betrayed him. All he managed to force out was "There were a lot of slaves…"

"Sinbad." Barbarossa lowered his voice. "If you have _any_ information on Thalia, know that she's in no danger from Parthevia. She belongs to our nobility. We just want her home."

"She's…" He gave Kayra one last glance, saw her eyes bright with tears, and broke. "She's safe. That's all I can tell you."

Kayra and Barbarossa exchanged inscrutable glances.

"She's alive. Well, then. This is a cause for celebration." Kayra stood up and clapped for the servants to bring in the refreshments. "Thank you, Sinbad. You've been most helpful."

* * *

 _ **A/N: Please consider checking out my other Thalia x Sinbad story, Labyrinth! Since I'm just getting started, I'm still working out some kinks in characterization and pacing, but I'm having fun writing it!**_

 _ **Summary: Attica still stands, and below its streets lurks a bloodthirsty creature that feasts on daughters of the nobility. Twenty-year-old Sinbad is tasked with slaying it. If he finishes his job and leaves without scandal, he'll have secured the new Sindria's prosperity. All he has to do is keep his hands off the king's daughter.**_

 _ **Hopefully, I'll see you there?**_


	48. Invitation

All his life, Sinbad had yet to meet a skill he couldn't master. Sailing had come easy to him, then swordsmanship, then trade. Today, he had met his match: horseback riding. He winced as Barbarossa bandaged his damaged arm. While charging down a steep cliff, that deranged beast had tossed him off, and he had scraped it.

"If you didn't know how to ride a horse, you should have said so," his host muttered. "I'm glad you weren't badly injured."

"Isn't this overkill?" Sinbad asked, inspecting the gauze. There'd barely been any blood.

"Even if you think you're fine, I can't help but worry. Letting a guest get injured will hurt my credibility."

As the horses grazed the green grass of the countryside, Sinbad and Barbarossa sat on two boulders opposite one another to rest. Every act of kindness from Barbarossa was strange, especially considering their history. Before, Barbarossa had been his enemy. Why the sudden change?

"It's still bothering you that I used that magician to try to kill you and your friends, isn't it?"

Sinbad narrowed his eyes and said nothing.

"That happened because we were enemies at the time." Barbarossa said it so casually, like he was discussing a game of chess. "You were a felon who outwitted the imperial army and disgraced our princess. I was also given orders from the Imperial Army to punish my younger brother for his failure. That's why I instructed Falan to kill you all. I was only being faithful in the execution of my professional duties. It was nothing more or less than that."

"It sounds like you're saying that we're no longer enemies."

"As I said before, I'm no longer a soldier. There's no reason for us to continue to be rivals. It's all in the past."

Barbarossa's reasoning was practical— almost _too_ practical. He had been willing to kill his own brother to follow orders, and he had spoken of it like it was nothing. Sinbad understood the value of logic, but wasn't this a bit extreme?

He glanced at the bandages Barbarossa had so carefully applied to his wrist. "If that's true, then why are you so concerned about me now? In your current position, there's no reason for you to take an interest in me, is there? I don't think you're the type of person who would do all this for no reason, so what are you trying to accomplish?" Sinbad set his jaw in a hard line. Unlike Rashid, Sinbad was no good at skirting around issues. He preferred to cut to the chase.

"It's natural, isn't it?" Barbarossa folded his hands under his chin. "There's not a single person in this country that doesn't know who you are. After all, you're an example of an excellent Parthevian."

"Excellent Parthevian?" The words were complimentary, but something about them felt ominous.

Barbarossa nodded thoughtfully. "Sinbad, I believe that Parthevians are the superior race. When you look at the resources of Reim and Balbadd, Parthevia's land is barren in comparison. Yet, our people have developed a great empire on that land. Clearly, it is because we are naturally superior. For example, look at you. You have pure Parthevian blood flowing through your veins, and you have accomplished more than most would ever dream of. You're clever, wise, and overflowing with strength. Haven't you realized by now that you're someone special?"

Sinbad shot up, set on edge by Barbarossa's strange speech. Parthevians were superior? What did that even mean? Going by strength, the common Parthevian was outclassed by even the weakest of Imuchakk or Fanalis. In terms of intelligence, the people of Heliohapt had advanced medical knowledge unknown to Parthevia. Artemyra's ingenuity enabled them to use trained animals to mine with minimal human effort. Wasn't Barbarossa's thinking flawed?

"Currently, my company is full of diversity. Imuchakk, Sasan, Reim, Balbadd…" _Even Attica._ "My allies from each country are excellent. I don't believe that any race is better than others. The reason I've come this far is my because of my own strength. It's not because I'm Parthevian."

A smirk snuck across Barbarossa's face. "It's true. You were able to achieve all your success so far because you're you. I can't deny that. But, it only serves to prove my point. You were able to bring together people of all different races and lead them… because you're Parthevian. That in itself is proof. We are special, a race that should stand above others and lead the world. That is the role given to us as Parthevians."

It was both horrifying and fascinating how easily Barbarossa had managed to twist Sinbad's words to fit his insane ideology. In fact, when he phrased it like that, it didn't sound insane at all, and that's what terrified Sinbad the most— that this man's callous words would make sense to him. He couldn't argue because he _was_ special. Sinbad alone could lead the world and shape its fate. Was it, as Barbarossa said, because he was Parthevian?

"You're already the personification of that ideal. The world has acknowledged your superiority. You're the symbol of our country… a leader."

Sinbad sank back down on the boulder, wiping his sweaty hands on his pants and willing his racing heart to slow. Having his potential acknowledged by someone so powerful, someone who had achieved a form of his goal, it was exhilarating.

"I hold you in high esteem," Barbarossa said, holding out his open palm. "Won't you help me change the world?"

His words had hit their target, but their force jolted some sense back into Sinbad. By honing in on the thing Sinbad desired most, he had nearly swayed him to serve a cause he didn't believe in. This was how Barbarossa had gathered so much support, by appealing to people's vanity.

Now that he knew the game, Sinbad was ready to play. He'd been manipulated enough by people like Barbarossa and Lady Maader. Now, it was his turn.

"I understand," Sinbad said, his hands folded thoughtfully in his lap. "As you said, it's possible that I have unconsciously exhibited talents because I'm Parthevian, but I can't possibly be the personification of your ideal. I'm merely a merchant. Even though I openly declared my stories that I would build my own country, I'm still nowhere close to being able to found one… because I don't have land. How could I represent the ideal Parthevian when I've fallen so short?"

Barbarossa straightened his back. "What are you trying to say?"

"Please." Sinbad placed a hand on his heart, in part to slow its racing, and in part to convey sincerity. "Let me build my own country. If Parthevians are superior, and I am an example of an ideal Parthevian, wouldn't it be strange if I fail?" Thalia would be proud if she could see him now. He was lying through his teeth, weaving an inescapable web. There was no way Barbarossa could refuse him, not if he intended to use him as his example of an ideal. "If you're going so far as to call me the personification of your ideal, it would be unacceptable for me to be unable to fulfill my declaration to build a country, wouldn't it?"

Tension hung thick and heavy in the air between them. Sinbad clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. Now, it wasn't just his palms sweating. A thin sheen was forming on his forehead as well.

The muscles around Barbarossa's mouth trembled as he tried to keep his fury in check. "Alright."

Sinbad let out a deep breath.

"If you're willing to make that request of me, I certainly seem to have earned your approval." As Sinbad's heart lept, Barbarossa gave him a polite smile. "I accept."

Sinbad let out a relieved laugh. "Thank you very much! I'm honored that you would accept—"

"Since we're allies now, I have some questions for you. I got the feeling earlier that you had more to say about Lady Thalia."

Sinbad's fleeting moment of celebration came to an abrupt halt. "Excuse me?"

"Personally, I don't care what happens to her," Barbarossa confessed. "But Lady Kayra does, very much so. She has friends in powerful places, and I've generally found that keeping her happy is strategically beneficial. You know where to find Lady Thalia, am I wrong?"

Sinbad shifted uncomfortably. He'd just pulled off the perfect lie, but he hadn't been prepared to have to respond again so soon.

"I suspect that if you assist in our search, Lady Kayra will be most inclined to support your endeavors. You must decide what you value more: your dream or your relationship with this half-breed." Barbarossa's voice dripped with disdain as he said the last word, like the very idea of Thalia's existence disgusted him.

"Half-breed?" Sinbad repeated indignantly.

Barbarossa nodded. "Lady Thalia's veins have been corrupted with inferior blood. It's unfortunate, but—"

Sinbad's nostrils flared, hot rage flooding his body. "Thalia is—" He caught himself mid-sentence. Barbarossa was testing him, and it seemed he had spotted another weakness. He had to play along with his benefactor, make him think he agreed with his ideals. "She tries her best with what she has. I respect that about her."

"You're close then." Barbarossa tilted his head curiously.

"She worked for the Sindria Trading Company before quitting," Sinbad answered evasively. "Before I tell you more, I have to know… when you find her, what do you intend to do?"

"We will simply extend an invitation for her to return home. Whether or not she accepts will be up to her."

"That's all?" Sinbad raised an eyebrow. "The title she holds in Attica doesn't pose any sort of threat to you?"

"Attica is no longer a country, thus it no longer requires a princess. Therefore, no. Her _former_ title is not a threat." Barbarossa stood up, heading over to his horse.

"One more question." Sinbad met Barbarossa's eyes. "Before I came here, I heard a certain rumor about Parthevia— that this country was conducting horrible tests on human beings under the guise of a 'purge.' Is that true?" He needed to be absolutely sure that Thalia was safe before he revealed her location.

Barbarossa let out a small chuckle. "It's true."

Tensing, Sinbad shot up. So the rumors were true, which meant—

"Don't misunderstand." Barbarossa seemed to sense his rising fury. "We would never do something like that to exemplary Parthevian citizens, only to criminals."

"And where does Thalia fall on that spectrum?" Sinbad demanded.

Barbarossa frowned. "I have no reason to harm her and every incentive not to. As I said, bringing her home will ultimately play out in both of our favors. As I am, I don't have the power to give you land, but with Lady Kayra's support, I can obtain it. You're serious about your dream, aren't you?"

Swallowing, Sinbad looked down at the bandage Barbarossa had so carefully applied to his wrist one more time. Barbarossa didn't hold grudges. He was too logical for that. Moreover, Lady Kayra's powerful friends gave him a practical reason not to harm Thalia. Perhaps most importantly, by telling Barbarossa Thalia's whereabouts, it would cement their alliance.

Sinbad glanced back at Barbarossa. "I know how to contact her."

* * *

"Princess, there's a letter for you." Sappho's voice came muffled through the closed door. "May I come in?"

Thalia didn't answer, pulling the blankets up over her head. Her body was too heavy to drag out of bed, and since Muu was out of town, she hadn't tried. Instead, she let guilt and shame eat away at her in the dark.

The door clicked open anyway. Then, footsteps approached, followed by the creaking of the bed as it shifted.

"Shall I read it to you?" Sappho's voice was gentle and patient, and Thalia didn't deserve her kindness, not after the way she had treated her. How many more years would she have to pretend to support values she wanted nothing to do with? How many people would she have to hurt? Curling into a tighter ball, she remained silent.

"It's from your sister."

Those were perhaps the only words in the world that could have given Thalia the energy to lift her head. She shot upright.

"Kayra sent me a letter?"

Sappho cleared her throat and began: "Dearest Thalia, I hope this letter finds you in good health. You cannot imagine the joy I felt upon discovering that you are alive and safe in Balbadd. For years, I have thought of you every day, believing that we would somehow be reunited. I have so many regrets, Sister— more than I could list on a single parchment. There is nothing in the world that I want more than to see your face and to ask for a second chance.

"It so happens that my fiance recently won an election— Parthevia is a constitutional monarchy now— and we will soon be hosting a celebration where we will announce our engagement to the public. Nothing would mean more to me than to see you there. As for your safety, you can rest assured. The Parthevian government that wronged you has been overthrown, and this new government bears no grudge against you. You will be treated as the esteemed guest you are.

"I beg of you to come if only to set my mind at ease that you are truly well.

"Fondest wishes,

"Kayra"

Upon refolding the letter, Sappho glanced back to Thalia. "Will you go? The messenger is waiting for your answer at the door.

Thalia hung her head, watching through teary eyes as her blurry hands gripped the blanket. Kayra was a traitor. Kayra was her sister. She was responsible in part for the suffering of Thalia's people, but she wanted a second chance, and Thalia wanted to give it to her. It was too late for a relationship with her parents, Sinbad was gone, she doubted she would ever truly have Muu, and even Sappho's loyalty must have its limit. Thalia feared it was something she would hit sooner rather than later. Though she still had Dinarzade, her friend was busy with Thalia's old job.

Kayra might end up Thalia's only ally.

"Tell them I'll go," she whispered.

Her former handmaiden rose to leave, but Thalia caught her by the wrist.

 _I'm so proud of you,_ she wanted to say. _You've studied so hard. You used to be illiterate, and today you didn't stumble on a single word. You can read as well as any man, and that's an amazing accomplishment._

But, Asena wouldn't approve of such praise.

Thalia loosened her grip on Sappho, letting her hand fall back to the bed. She needed an excuse, a reason for holding her friend back.

"Will you come?" Thalia forced a small smile. "I'll need help with the wedding. There's so much to plan."

Sappho frowned, sitting back down on the side of the bed. "You don't have to marry him, you know. You don't have to marry anyone. You can—

"I can what?" Thalia asked sharply. "I can watch Parthevia treat my citizens like beasts of burden? Let them continue to suffer _knowing_ that I can do something to help them?"

"You can be _brave,"_ Sappho said. "I don't know what the priestess told you, but you don't have to pretend to be someone you're not. There have to be other ways to get Attica back."

Thalia sank back inter her pillow, a heavy sense of hopelessness settling over her. "I can't be like you. I'm not destined to be a revolutionary. You're asking me to defy the goddess herself."

Sappho shook her head. "Believe it or not, I've spent more time studying the ancient texts than the high priestess, and the goddess would never want you to be unhappy. The Asena in the texts fought to stand among the men on the battlefield and then led them to victory. I don't think she valued the old ways nearly as much as the priestesses would have us think."

Thalia didn't tell Sappho that she was wrong or that the goddess had visited her in a dream and given quite clear commands. Instead, she closed her eyes, too exhausted and ashamed to attempt to defend her actions.

"I'm marrying him."

Taking Thalia's hand in her own, Sappho stroked it comforting with her thumb. "Then, I suppose I'll come." She rose to leave, pausing at the door. "I should warn you, the messenger said that the ship they've sent for us will also be bringing another party. You're alright with that, right?"

Thalia nodded before burying her face in the pillow.

* * *

 _ **A/N: The end is coming up faster than I thought it would! At least, the end to part 1. I have no idea what to call the next part. I'm not very good at naming things, if you haven't noticed.**_


	49. Rain

When Sinbad returned to Balbadd a month ago, the first thing Ja'far had told him was "Thalia's not well." She had been acting strangely, and Ja'far attributed it to a ritual she underwent while in Attica. Of course, the news was concerning, but there was nothing he could do. He'd promised himself that he would stop meddling in her life. So, he didn't seek her out. He simply had to keep faith that things would improve for her.

He didn't forget her, though. How could he? She'd become such an intrinsic part of his life, he'd begun to take her presence for granted. Like the air he breathed, she had always been there, and now that she was gone, he was suffocating.

At least, that's what it felt like at night, when he was alone and had nothing to distract his thoughts. In reality, he was doing quite well. His company was still growing, and with the election nearing, each day he was closer to achieving his dream. When news arrived that Barbarossa had won, he turned to scoop up Thalia in his arms and spin her around only to find she wasn't there. Then, he remembered she was gone, and suddenly the victory felt hollow.

Fate, it turned out, was an illogical mistress, or maybe the counter-flow he'd created by working against it was simply too strong to right itself immediately. When he boarded a ship to Parthevia to celebrate the election, it was the last place he expected to see Thalia. Yet, when she walked up the gangway, his heart pounded in his chest, and suddenly he couldn't breathe. He was staring at a goddess, one whose dress was of regal purple and gold and whose hair was pulled up into an elaborate updo. Her painted lips spread into a polite smile as a crew member offered to carry her luggage.

She looked so natural in the rich fabrics, and Sinbad realized more than ever that she belonged in them. She had reunited with her people, not just the citizens of Attica, but with aristocrats and royalty. She was one of them, and letting her go had released her back into their fold.

As befit someone of her station, she floated by without noticing him or Ja'far. Her placid expression remained fixed straight ahead as though nothing in the world mattered. She showed no interest in her surroundings, no curiosity about the crew. Instead, she and the woman accompanying her settled themselves at a table.

"I wish you would keep something on you for self-defense," the woman said. Sinbad recognized her as one of the women that had accompanied Thalia back from Parthevia. "I know your sister said it's safe now, but I'm not convinced."

"Weapons are the business of men, Sappho, and are better left to them."

" _Thalia's not well."_ The words echoed in Sinbad's mind. Though it wasn't the first time she'd expressed sentiments similar to this, she had seemed to have moved past that. She'd earnestly begged every one of his friends to teach her self-defense, and her sword had been a valued possession. Had returning to Attica brought back her old mindset?

The woman called Sappho groaned and pulled at her dark ringlets. "Please don't tell me common sense is the business of men as well."

Thalia opened her mouth to answer, but paused as she mulled it over. This only caused Sappho to slump onto her elbows and let out an exasperated sob.

"You see it, don't you?" Ja'far whispered. "She makes Mystras's father look open-minded. She won't talk about it, but something happened inside that temple. I know it."

Sinbad tore his eyes away from her, walking in the opposite direction. "It's not my business anymore."

Ja'far made a disbelieving noise. "Since when do you mind your own business? Especially when it comes to Thalia. You used to— "

Sinbad shot his friend a glare, warning him not to ask questions. It wasn't a subject he particularly wanted to discuss. The fact that Thalia had been falling into depravity was a secret he intended to take to his grave.

"Are you going to talk to her?" Ja'far asked from his side. "You're the only one who's ever been able to talk sense into her."

"Maybe. Probably not tonight." He imagined a world where they'd boarded this ship together as perfect strangers. He might bring up the weather, and she might nod politely. He'd probably hit on her— she was his type, after all, and she would tell him she was engaged. That would be the end of it. He wouldn't have to restrain himself from cupping her cheek and kissing her. He wouldn't be afraid of seeing the longing behind her eyes, or worse, finding it was gone.

Ja'far gave him a sour look. "Well, I'm going to let her know we're here. I don't want her to think _I'm_ avoiding her."

Sinbad nodded and turned around, looking for a place to jump in with the crew. If he was stuck with Thalia, he was going to need a lot of distractions.

Over the next two days, he found plenty of odd jobs around the ship, but nothing was enough to keep him from watching her at every opportunity. Between scrubbing the deck or mending a rope, he would glance her way, studying her formal, stiff movements. There were some things even she couldn't hide, though. Every time he looked, her hands were shaking, and the smallest of unexpected noises made her jump. Ja'far was right. She wasn't okay.

The third day, she and the woman with her— Sappho she was called— settled themselves at a table and pulled out a box of fabric scraps.

"We need to choose the material for your dress, Princess."

Thalia stared at her hands in her lap in response, gripping her skirt the way she often did when she was upset.

"I- I can't wear any of these," Thalia's trembling voice was soft, but it stopped Sinbad in his tracks. He glanced over his shoulder to see her in tears gripping a scrap of silk. "There's a stain."

"These are just samples, Princess," The dark-haired woman leaned in to wipe her cheek. "The real thing won't be discolored." When Thalia didn't respond, she held up a different scrap of fabric. "What about this chiffon? It's well-made and—"

"I can't do this right now." Shaking, Thalia rose from her seat. "I'm tired. I want to rest."

Sappho placed a hand on her hip. "You'll still be engaged when you wake up. You can't keep putting this off."

Thalia opened her mouth as if to speak, but only a strangled noise came out. She slumped defeatedly back into her seat.

She spent the entire day tugging at her hair, still indecisive about which fabric to make her dress from. Sappho suggested postponing the wedding so that she would have more time to prepare. The advice only served to drain the color from Thalia's face, and from then on she was frantic, inspecting cloth after cloth, growing more agitated as each one failed to satisfy her.

All this, Sinbad ignored. It simply wasn't his responsibility or his place. Fate would set her back on the right path, and then she would be happy. _Just give it time_ , he told himself. _Just give her space._

That night, he lay in bed staring at the ceiling as he let the gentle, rhythmic patter of rain ease him into sleep. He was almost out of it when another sound nearly too quiet to notice, jerked him awake— bare feet rushing past his door. Their gait couldn't have been one of the sailors. The feet were too small, the weight they carried too light. That left Thalia and Sappho, but Sinbad didn't need to do much detective work to know who it was. He'd recognize Thalia's footsteps anywhere.

He'd been going to ignore her, but again, Ja'fars words echoed in his head.

" _Thalia's not well."_

He could still see her digging through those scraps of cloth, tugging at her hair with such force it nearly ripped out of her skull. Her trembling voice haunted him, her eyes so devoid of light or life. She wasn't okay.

 _Damn it._ He couldn't stay away, not when she was like this. He threw on a robe, dashing out the door in the direction the footsteps had headed. His legs carried him onto the deck, where he found her leaning precariously over the gunwale.

She was planning to jump— that was the first thought that ran through his mind, his worst fear. His mouth ran dry, and he lunged forward to catch her. Then, he skidded to a halt, realizing that his fears were unfounded. Her body heaved with gut-wrenching sobs, as though she were trying to purge unspeakable sorrows into the water below. Without making his presence known, he watched her pour her lamentations out into the ocean. Her fine silks quickly became drenched, hanging limply on her small frame. She no longer looked regal. She looked pathetic and broken, like the girl he'd met in the amphitheater. Was this the destiny he'd been pulling her away from? One where that broken girl never learned to fight for her own happiness, one where she was willing to tear herself apart to meet others' expectations? Was it possible depravity would have been better than _this?_

Finally, he opened his mouth. "Thalia."

She whirled around, her wide eyes fixing themselves on him. Confliction clouded her tear-stained face as her hand reached out for him, pausing in mid-air before pulling it back to her chest.

"Sin…" With her sleeve, she attempted to wipe away the snot and tears dripping down her face. "I didn't think you— I'm sorry. I didn't want you to see me like this."

Sinbad's response was to pull her into a tight embrace. It wasn't romantic— she didn't need that right now. This was a hug between friends. "If I ask you how you've been, will you be honest with me?"

Instead of answering him, she clung to his back, sobbing uncontrollably into his chest. As he waited for her to calm down, he stroked her hair, whispering words of encouragement in her ear.

" _You're going to get through this." "I'm here now." "There's nothing we can't handle together."_

With each whisper, she grew more distraught until she collapsed on the ground. Sinbad lowered himself to her side and held her until her sobbing died down and she looked up.

"Sin, if you could save a ton of people by becoming someone you never wanted to be, would you?"

Her question struck him as odd, but he answered anyway. "I wouldn't compromise. I'd find a way to save those people while remaining true to myself."

"I should have known." She frowned, pulling away. "You've always been so idealistic. How would anything get done if everyone thought like that? We can't all have our way all of the time. Without compromise, nothing gets done."

He gave her a small smile. "You were the one who said that if there's no third option, someone should make one. I was willing to compromise my morals back then, but you didn't give up. And Thalia…" he took her hand in his, stroking her palm with his thumb. Her eyes widened as she met his gaze. "I'm done compromising."

If she wasn't happy with her destiny, he would drag her into depravity. He would make a new destiny for her, one where he could see her bright smile every day. He would never let her go again.

Thalia tugged her hand away and stood up, hugging herself tightly. "I should head back to my room. My fiance would worry if I caught a cold."

"Goodnight, Thalia." He stood up as well, wringing the water out of his jacket. "I'll see you tomorrow… as your friend, if you'll have me."

Even in the dark, he could see that telltale hint of a blush dust across her cheeks. "I'll have you… as a friend, of course."


	50. New Moon

"Good morning, princess." Sinbad approached Thalia and her maid, leaning casually on their table. "I hope you slept well."

Sappho frowned. "Do we _know_ you, Sir?"

Sinbad grinned, always ready to give an introduction. He was known throughout the world, and few hadn't heard of his exploits. The look of awe upon people's faces when they realized he was a celebrity never ceased to boost his ego.

"Sinbad!" Thalia stood up abruptly, nearly knocking her drink over. "My friend… he's my friend, Sappho."

Sappho leaned forward. "I won't ask why you've waited until now to acknowledge each other. Do sit down."

He nodded, relieved not to have to provide an explanation for his previous aloofness. After seeing the extent of the agony Thalia was going through— and to think that Ja'far had tried to warn him multiple times— he felt horrible for how he'd treated her. He never seemed to make the right decisions when it came to her. Somehow, she'd always forgiven him in the past. He hoped this time would be the same.

He settled himself across from Thalia as Ja'far joined them. As she sat back down, she gave a tight, shy smile, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. It vanished almost as quickly appeared.

"You're talking again." Ja'far raised an eyebrow. "Unless…" He glanced at Thalia, and Sappho sighed.

"The Princess feels it would tarnish her reputation to speak casually with men without the supervision of her fiance." She wrinkled her nose as she spoke.

Thalia nodded silently, hunching her shoulders as she stared into her lap.

"Is that so?" Sinbad frowned, taking in the fine clothes the man in question had showered her with. Perhaps Sinbad had taken her for granted. It wasn't like he couldn't have afforded to spoil her more often. But then again, the expensive gifts didn't seem to make her any happier, and neither did the fiance.

If he was going to dismantle her destiny, the first step was to win her back and convince her to end the engagement, a task that became decidedly more complicated if she refused to interact with him directly. She had talked to him last night, but he wasn't sure if he could count on another midnight breakdown to lower her defenses.

Sappho pulled out the box of fabric scraps and smiled. "If you can just pick out a fabric today, everything else will be settled. You won't have to think about it again this whole trip."

Taking a deep breath, Thalia laid the scraps out in front of her one by one— silks, linens, satins. Again, she stared at them anxiously, refusing to pick one.

Hoping to avoid a repeat of yesterday, Sinbad reached out and picked up the plainest one, holding it out to her. "You'll look beautiful in anything, Thalia." When she lifted her hand to grab it, he tightened his grip, refusing to let it go. As she firmed her own grasp on the fabric, their fingers brushed, sending a jolt of warmth through him. His grip loosened, but she didn't move away. Instead, her eyes met his. When his stilted breath returned to him, he finished his thought. "If you ask me though, I stand by what I said in Heliohapt. Domesticity isn't in your nature. You're better off with someone who already understands that."

Her eyes averted themselves guiltily. She knew she was making the wrong decision, so why was she so desperate to go through with it? Could she not wait a few more years until she was ready to conquer a dungeon? Was someone threatening her? His first thought would have been the fiance, but Ja'far had said she changed after visiting the temple. He hadn't been around then.

 _What happened to you, Thalia?_

He let the cloth go, and Thalia flattened it on the table. "I want this one."

Shrewd eyes fixed on Sinbad, Sappho asked, "This one?"

"Yes."

* * *

Sinbad lie awake in bed, staring at the ceiling as he waited for the sound of footsteps rushing past his door. Tonight, there was nothing. Thalia's state had seemed stable throughout the day, but he the image of her dangling over the rails of the ship wouldn't leave his head. She was safe. He knew that, but…

Lifting himself out of his bed, he put on his jacket and opened the door, making his way to the deck. The night air was refreshingly cool compared to his stuffy cabin, and he inhaled its briny scent, taking comfort in its familiarity. When he opened his eyes, he paused. There, underneath the moonless night sky, danced a lone woman. It was Thalia, clad in another one of those dresses her fiance had clearly given to her. Sheer, red fabric peeked out from under a rich purple and gold himation, which was wrapped around her upper body for modesty. She looked regal and untouchable, like a ripe pomegranate in some immortal's forbidden orchard.

Upon seeing him, she stopped and smiled, beckoning for him to come closer. Sinbad obeyed, his heart racing as ignored the alluring silhouette her shapely legs cast against the translucent garment.

"It's said that on a new moon, the earth is too dark for the goddess to see."

He raised an eyebrow. "And that means you can talk?"

Her cherry lips parted into a radiant smile that spoke to his basest of instincts. "It means I can misbehave."

He reached out for her to kiss her, but she bounded away, twirling around him in graceful circles. Her red skirt flared out like a splash of cool wine against his parched lips, drenching his tongue with its sweet tang. Her saw in her expression the ecstasy she felt abandoning herself to her dance, losing herself in the movement of her body. Then, mid turn, her eyes met his, and he realized that this dance wasn't for her. It was for him. She wanted him to watch. She was showing off for him, fanning out her feathers like a peacock. She knew she was delectable, and she was daring him to take a bite.

She ground to a halt in front of him, her chest heaving.

"So," she panted. "What do you think of my new dress?"

She looked for more attractive than a taken woman had any business being, but he always showered her with praise for her looks. He doubted she took his compliments seriously at this point, so he tried finding something else to admire.

"The color is nice. Did you pick it?"

She beamed, her breath finally steadying.

"I did. You know, I was thinking... you don't know how to dance, do you?"

"I don't."

Thalia anxiously chewed her lower lip, furrowing her eyebrows. "In that case, I was wondering if you wanted me to teach you…"

"You want to teach me how to dance." He leaned toward her with a hand to his chin, narrowing his eyes at her scrutinizingly. She responded by arching backward and averting her gaze, a healthy flush spreading across the apples of her cheeks. "And why would that be?"

He knew. He knew that if he reached out, he could pluck her from her tree and partake of her, consequences be damned. He didn't care if the Alexius family spent the rest of his life trying to destroy his business for robbing them of their shot at becoming royalty. Besides, she was only engaged. Engagements fell through all the time. It wasn't like she and her fiance loved each other anyway, so if he ended up stealing her away, there was no harm done.

"I- I just… I'm concerned for you as a _friend_ ," she stammered. "If the Parthevian nobility think you're low-born, then it'll hurt your networking opportunities."

She had almost managed to sound convincing, but he saw right through her. She needed excuses to be close to him. She _wanted_ to be close to him.

"Since you're _offering yourself_ to me, I can't possibly turn you down, can I?" He took a step toward her, sending her nervously stumbling backwards as the blood drained from her face.

"O— offering myself?"

He nodded slowly, fighting back an amused smile. "Offering yourself as a teacher. It's very noble of you."

"Ah! Yes!" She grinned at him naively, the fact that he was teasing her seemingly having gone over her head. "I'm happy to help."

"So," he said, taking her right hand and wrapping his arm around her waist. Pressing her body firmly against his, he asked her innocently, "This is how I hold you, right?"

"No, your arm should be up higher." She giggled nervously, moving to put some distance between them. He had no intention of letting her have her way. Pulling her back against him, He trailed his fingers lightly up her spine. She tried to conceal a quiet moan with a cough, and his lips twitched into a self-satisfied grin. He doubted she'd ever made that noise for her fiance.

"Higher," she instructed him, guiding his arm to where she wanted it. "And put some space between us, will you? You're going to step on my feet."

He leaned forward and whispered seductively in her ear, "I've dreamed of holding you like this for so long, Thalia. I can't pull away now."

The sweet sound of her quiet panting rose once again from her lips as her hands wandered up his back, pulling him closer. Even she couldn't pretend this was innocent dancing any longer.

"Don't do this to me, Sin."

He nuzzled the nape of her neck with his nose, blowing air out gently. "What is it, exactly, that I'm doing to you?"

He wanted to hear her say it. He wanted her to admit he drove her crazy, that her engagement was a mistake.

Her head dipped backwards, stretching her neck out to provide him with room for his kisses, which he sprinkled on her liberally. His darting tongue savored the salt of her drying sweat, which mingled with some kind of spiced perfume oil to create a heady, intoxicating scent.

"You know exactly what you're doing." She sighed happily. "You can't be with me the way you wanted, and now you're trying to sabotage my engagement."

"And if I am?" He shook his head. "I told you I'm done compromising, Thalia. I want you, and I know you want me too."

"I do," she confessed in a tremulous voice, "but, Sin, my people need a king—"

"They don't. Not more than we need each other."

Need was such a strong word, but right now, he burned with it. He needed her— needed to see her smile, hear her laughter. Without her, the days dragged on endlessly and his achievements felt empty.

"We weren't meant to be together…"

He raised his head to look her in the eye. "If you really believe that, tell me you don't want to be with me."

"This isn't about what I want." She turned her head, crossing her arms defensively over her chest.

He sighed, reigning himself in. This should be enjoyable for both of them. Right now, they were each just frustrated. He planted one last, lingering kiss on the corner of her mouth.

"I won't push you any further then, but…" He tenderly stroked a carob hair out of her face. "I can't give up on you."

"You have to," she pleaded quietly. "You have to let me go. You're not my destiny."

He took a step back, studying her bleak expression. Something was bothering her. Thalia wasn't someone to follow destiny just because someone told her to.

"What happened in that temple, Thalia?"

She froze, her dark eyes wide. When she recovered, her face took on a placid quality.

"If I told you, you wouldn't believe me." Wrapping her himation more tightly around her, she turned and cast him one last glance. "Good night, Sinbad."


	51. Loyalty

Slumping to the floor by her door, Thalia buried her head in her arms. The phantom of Sinbad's embrace lingered on her skin, warm and familiar— a seductive ghost threatening to pull her back to him. She'd already been fraying at the edges ever since she'd first seen him on the ship. Now, she might unravel completely, undone by those patient fingers. Their touch filled her with warmth and security. They made her want to confide every trouble, to let him handle everything. He was probably still out there patiently waiting for her as he always had. She could run to him now if she decided to. There was a life waiting for her outside this cabin _._ It was the dream she couldn't have. The goddess had been clear about the consequences of pursuing Sinbad. He would destroy her country, destroy her. Only one man had the power and resources to fix her life and that of her people: Muu Alexius, her fiance.

Slowly, she picked herself up off the floor and shuffled to her bed, collapsing onto it. In the light of the lamp, her golden engagement ring glittered on her hand. She inspected it, attempting to ground herself with the reminder of its presence.

Muu was a good man. He would treat her well. Yet, a thousand rationalizations as to why she should return to the deck raced through her mind: Muu didn't love her either, so she could never hurt him; he would likely pursue a lover of his own if given the chance; if she gave up on Sinbad, she would end up as broken and bitter as her mother. All of these, she pushed aside. No matter how much she longed to, she _could not_ betray Muu. There were no excuses. All room for mistakes was gone. Her selfishness had cost her people enough.

Why, then, had she donned her most alluring dress that night in hopes that the man she couldn't have would come find her? Why had she sought any excuse to be close to him? Why was it that every protest she'd mounted had been nothing but lip-service?

Trembling, she let her hand fall to her chest. Her eyes squeezed shut as she remembered the feel of his lips against her neck. Intoxicating heat pooled in her fluttering stomach, spilling into her limbs. It left her weak-willed and fuzzy-headed. This was her answer, the high she sought that she would never get from Muu Alexius. Only Sinbad made her feel this way.

She could not give in again.

* * *

"Hmm? Sinbad inspected Thalia closely, taking pleasure at the flush that crept up her neck as he hovered over her, invading her personal space. "Not talking today, are we?"

She was seated at the same table as usual, her hair perfectly coiffed to match her lavish clothing. Today, the sun shone brightly, birds chattered overhead, and a cool breeze played with his hair. Their journey was coming to an end, and Sinbad was wasting no time with Thalia. Especially not the precious rare moments like these, where Ja'far and Sappho were off discussing plans. He had Thalia to himself— though, at least when Sappho was around, she talked.

Thalia's eyes flicked in his direction, her lips pulling into a fond smile. Sinbad responded with a bright grin of his own. He wasn't sure how she intended to make their friendship work without being able to talk to him, but he had a few tricks up his sleeve either way.

"I suppose I won't get a second chance to have you as a dance teacher either."

She shook her head.

Sinbad sighed. That's what he had thought. He'd jumped on the chance to attempt to seduce Thalia too soon last night. She was right about the Parthevian nobility looking down on him if he couldn't dance. He'd wasted an opportunity on a failed attempt to win her back. All he could do now was try to learn without her instruction.

Planting his hands chastely on an imaginary partner, he looked to Thalia. "The hands go like this, right?"

She gave a slow nod, resting her chin in her hand as her eyes glittered with amusement.

" _Go ahead. Put on a show,"_ she seemed to say.

Sinbad straightened his spine, rolling his shoulders back confidently. She liked shows, and he was good at giving them. "And now what? I spin around in circles?"

She raised her eyebrows and shrugged. She probably was hoping he would fall flat on his ass so that she could laugh at his failure. He wasn't entirely opposed to the idea. Making her laugh was one of his favorite pastimes.

He began to prance around in wide circles, dragging his imaginary partner with him. Spinning and twirling, he mimicked what he assumed dancers did until he tripped on his own feet and caught his balance. Then, quiet giggling met his ears. Thalia was entertained. He shot her a grin with a cockiness he was well aware he hadn't earned and swept his imaginary partner into a low bend. He pretended to pucker his lips, waggling his eyebrows. In the corner of his vision, he caught Thalia shaking her head disapprovingly, her body trembling with restrained laughter.

"What sort of barbarian mating ritual…?"

Sappho's stunned voice broke through the moment, and Sinbad straightened again. Her dark eyebrows knitted together when he shot her a wink, attempting to cover up the fact that he was at least a little embarrassed at being caught humiliating himself for Thalia.

Ja'far stood by her side, his eyebrow twitching irritably. He didn't look surprised to find Sinbad like this. Admittedly, on the list of compromising situations Ja'far had found Sinbad in, this ranked fairly low.

He shrugged. "Thalia won't teach me how to dance, so I have to figure it out myself."

"This is dancing?" Sappho crossed her arms over her chest, her lips twitching at the ends.

"He doesn't need a teacher. Don't you agree, Sappho?" Thalia was still tittering. "I've never seen such a natural."

"I'm not sure it's a good idea to encourage him." Sappho grinned, sitting next to Thalia. "This is the future king you spoke of, correct? A ruler should give an air of austerity, not whatever this display was just now."

"Oh, I'm very austere," Sinbad assured her, striking the position Thalia had taught him. This time, he kept his lips pulled into a dour frown, which was a challenge with Thalia howling in the background. Once again, he began to prance in circles, this time attempting to take it seriously. His cheeks burned hotter the harder Thalia laughed. She was merciless.

"Sappho, tell him he's doing it wrong."

"He's right there, Princess."

"Tell him he needs to learn the proper steps. He looks like a drunken peacock."

Sinbad faltered, his hands letting go of his imaginary partner. There were steps?

"Why don't you show me how it's done, then, Thalia?" He held out his hand in invitation. Her hand lifted to take his, the most natural thing in the world. For a moment, he believed she would take it. He forgot about the strange melancholy that had overtaken her recently, her new-found religious convictions. There was nothing in the world that could keep them apart. They were inseparable.

Then, she caught herself. Pulling her hand back to her head, she shook her head, refusing to meet his gaze.

Sinbad's stomach dropped as their current reality came crashing back into him. This was his fault. If he hadn't pushed her away, she would never have returned to that place. Whatever had happened to her there wouldn't have occurred. She would be happy, and so would he.

"Come on, Sin." Ja'far stepped in, taking Sinbad's hand and dragging him several paces away from the table. "I'll teach you."

* * *

 _The Attican palace used to have hundreds of slaves, dozens of servants for each member of the royal family. In recent years, Attica had fallen on hard times, and many of the slaves had been sold off to the mainland. Positions at the palace were rare but cushy, and every slave dreamed of working there. Sappho was not one of them._

 _She was an eleven-year-old girl who'd been born into this life. Though she'd been ripped from her parents before she could remember, she considered herself lucky. She'd managed a position as a high-class slave for a prominent family before she was even old enough to understand the concept of status and servitude. Her mentor, the woman who raised her, drilled into her that it was her place to be neither seen nor heard. She was not to desire more from this life than what she was given. Dreams were for freemen and idiots. Sappho was neither._

 _When Eleni Galanis, the girl Sappho used to serve, gossiped, Sappho paid no mind. It was not her place to know things or to think, only to serve. Yet, there was one incident she had never been able to forget. Sappho had been standing in the corner, watching Eleni and her visitor lunch. The afternoon sunlight poured in, catching in Eleni's bright blue eyes. Sappho found herself more mesmerized by them every day._

 _Dipping a piece of bread in olive oil, Eleni tilted her head demurely toward her guest. "I take it you have news from the palace?"_

 _The other girl beamed proudly. "My maid's connections got something juicy this time."_

 _Eleni raised an eyebrow, leaning in excitedly. "Juicy?"_

 _Sappho stood rigidly, tuning out the conversation just enough that it wouldn't stick, but she would still hear if Eleni requested something._

" _Everyone in the palace is talking about it. The king is furious and you'll never guess why."_

" _Why?" Eleni's mouth was full, but she could rarely contain herself around gossip. "Why why why?"_

 _The other girl put a finger to her chin thoughtfully. "Hmm… it's pretty bad. I shouldn't be spreading a rumor like this about our dear_ princess."

 _Eleni went rigid, her lips pulling into a wide grin. "Oh, please tell!"_

 _The girl leaned in, whispering low enough that Sappho could only make out a few words. "She… …a girl."_

 _Eleni went pale. "Is such a thing even possible? How did that idea even occur to her? How would two women even…?"_

" _Why don't you ask your maid over there?" The girl shot Sappho a malicious grin. "I catch her leering at you all the time."_

 _Sappho's muscles locked in place as Eleni's beautiful eyes turned to her. "She's a child. Children don't leer."_

 _Fear crawled underneath Sappho's skin. Leering? She knew her interest in Eleni was unusual, but she didn't understand._ _She just thought Eleni was pretty. It wasn't like she had crude thoughts about her. How could she? They were both girls._

" _There's something_ wrong _with her, Eleni. If it's this bad now, it'll only get worse. You should sell her before she tries something."_

 _Trembling, Eleni rose, directing her hard gaze at her guest. "I think you should leave."_

 _Sappho breathed a sigh of relief as the visitor shot Eleni a dirty look before marching out the door. Eleni might be friends with the other girl, but Sappho had been serving Eleni for as long as she could remember. Eleni had to know that the accusations were false._

 _Over the next two years, other girls' Sappho's age took an interest in boys, but she closed in on herself. When bathing Eleni, she averted her gaze to hide her increasing anxiety about what she was beginning to suspect was the truth. She did like girls. They gave her butterflies, made her heart pound in her chest. It was impossible to ignore, but she did a good job faking. At least, she thought she did._

 _It was a foggy autumn day when Eleni pulled her aside. Today, her mistress's lovely blue eyes were somber, her eyes brimming with unshed tears._

" _I know what you are, Sappho."_

 _Sappho's eyelids fluttered as she tried to process the meaning of what Eleni was saying._

" _You try so hard to hide it, but I practically raised you. You can't fool me." Eleni gingerly brought a hand to Sappho's cheek, prepared to wipe the tears that she didn't yet know to shed. "I've heard of such things— women with a preference for women. There are doctors who speak of these tendencies in their writings."_

 _Sappho's blood ran cold. Eleni knew, and now that Sappho was older, she understood what happened to girls like her. They were shunned, forced to marry, or, most likely in Sappho's case, sold off to work in the mines._

" _Please don't— don't send me to the mines. I can control myself. I can change."_

 _Eleni shook her head sadly. "I don't want you to change. I don't think you chose this, but life for you here will always be one of solitude and deception. I was going to sell you to the mainland, but something happened. A position has opened up in the palace under the princess. I think about that poor girl… she's hiding as well. I want you to go serve her. Be careful about letting her know about you, but one day, I hope you'll find comfort in one another."_

 _Sappho fell to her knees, clinging to her mistress's skirts. "Please, I don't want to serve anyone but you."_

 _Eleni bent down, pulling Sappho into her arms. "You only say that because I'm all you know. Sappho, you're a smart girl. The truth is, you're destined for something greater than the life of a handmaiden. In the palace, you can gain real influence. You'll be able to make a difference. Isn't that what you've always dreamed of?"_

" _I don't dream of anything…" Sappho buried her head in Eleni's chest. "I don't want anything."_

" _Goodbye, Sappho."_

 _..._

 _Sappho stood in the doorway, her head hanging low in deference to her new master. The princess Thalia was described by the others as a lax mistress. She was often too absorbed in her studies to notice when the maids were slacking, and as a result, working for her was one of the most enviable positions in the palace._

" _You're here to serve me, yes?" Sappho couldn't see her, but her voice held a level of contempt that grated on Sappho's nerves._

" _I am, My Lady."_

" _Good. I'll let you know if I need anything."_

 _She dared to look up as the princess walked away. She was different from the reckless girl Eleni used to gossip about. She carried herself with even greater poise than Sappho's previous master. Yet, where Eleni had spent most of her days spinning yarn, weaving, and gossiping, Princess Thalia surrounded herself with books and tutors constantly. Sappho tried to tune out the information. It wasn't her place to know things. Even so, she found the allure of knowledge so tempting that she coveted it. She coveted Thalia's life, her ability to read— and so Sappho tried to learn._

" _What is that?"_

 _Months into serving Thalia, Sappho had begun to write letters on her hands in an attempt to learn. Embarrassed and ashamed, Sappho bowed her head._

 _"I don't dare lie to you, Princess. I've been trying to learn to read. These are letters for me to practice remembering throughout the day. I know a lowly girl such as myself is not supposed to covet knowledge..."_

 _Sappho awaited her mistress's fury. It wasn't her place as a slave or a woman to seek out knowledge. It wasn't her place to want things or to dream._

 _Princess Thalia surprised Sappho with her response. "That's an admirable pursuit. Learn as much as you can. You'll be better able to serve me."_

Ba-dum.

 _Sappho's heart skipped a beat. Her mistress wanted her to want things. She wanted her to dream._

" _Princess, thank you for your blessing!"_

 _Thalia turned around and began to walk ahead before pausing. "By the way, I don't believe I've ever asked your name."_

Ba-dum.

 _Sappho froze, averting her gaze. She was in trouble. Why else would the princess take an interest in her? Thalia was too wrapped up in herself to care about some lowly slave._

" _Sappho," she answered reluctantly._

Ba-dum.

 _Princess Thalia's hand landed on Sappho's head, and her shoulders hunched. Her heart threatened to pound its way out of her ribcage. It was so loud, she could barely hear. What was this? This was more than what she felt toward other girls._

" _Thank you, Sappho. For everything you do."_

 _Something inside Sappho snapped, the string tethering her to her pride. It was in that moment she knew: she_ was _destined for more than what Eleni could have given her. In the palace, she had learned to want things— want knowledge, want companionship, want Thalia. It didn't matter to her if her crush faded. She knew in her bones that this was where she belonged. She would follow the princess for the rest of her life._

* * *

Sappho lay in bed, her eyelids drooping as the sway of the boat lulled her into drowsiness. Fighting her exhaustion, she got up and paced the room for the tenth time that night. She couldn't sleep, not yet. She wanted answers that Thalia wasn't giving.

The book she'd been up late reading every night was one that she'd pilfered from the temple before leaving Attica. It contained countless spells and rituals, calling upon the goddess for fortune, safe delivery of a child, protection of a household, and more. The one she was interested in, though, was the purification ritual. But, from what she could see, the ritual prescribed was nothing more than a routine ablution followed by lengthy prayer. Yet, when Thalia had returned, her pupils had been constricted, and she'd been mildly disoriented.

Amaltheia had pointed it out. She was showing symptoms of recovering from a heavy dose of Merosh. Yet, so far none of these dense pages of rituals described anything that called for use of the substance. Frustrated, Sappho sat on the bed.

"Goddess Asena, hear me. Your daughter is in danger and your priestesses are corrupt. Yet, I know not what to do—"

She cut herself off, a swell of anger rising in her chest. The goddess wouldn't respond. She had abandoned Attica and its people long ago. Why cling so desperately to a slumbering deity? Throwing the book against the wall, she buried her head in her pillow. It was hopeless. Short of interrogating the priestess herself, she would never know what had happened to the princess she used to admire.

Then, slowly, her anger died down, and she crossed the floor to pick up the book. The title of the page caught her eye.

"Indoctrination Ritual."

And the first ingredient listed: Merosh.


	52. Broken

_To Thalia, Kayra's life had always seemed effortless. Back when both sisters had taken their meals with Simay, Thalia used to watch as Kayra easily commanded their mother's attention. Drunk as she was, Simay never failed to dote on her perfect daughter— a caress on the cheek, soft words of encouragement. Those were things only Kayra received. Thalia simply stared, envy burrowing its way deeper into her chest with each dinner._

Crash!

 _Simay rose abruptly, supporting her unsteady weight by leaning on the table. "If you had just sat still like I told you to—"_

" _Mother, she's a child." Kayra set down her fork, her voice carrying a hint of warning. "I beg of you, extend to her the same patience you did to me at her age."_

" _I can't deal with this." Simay ran her fingers anxiously through her hair. "Where is the nanny?"_

" _She's taken ill, Mother."_

 _Thalia sat frozen, her broken glass shattered on the floor. This was the object that had earned her mother's ire. When reaching for a piece of bread from a bowl in the middle of the table, Thalia had knocked it over. As the shock wore off, nausea and dread took its place. Her small hands gripped her linen dress tightly as she braced herself for punishment._

" _This damn palace!" Simay shouted. "Can Hypatos not afford a replacement? I didn't even want her. Why do I have to—"_

 _Thalia's wailing cut her off. Her mother was angry and it was her fault. Why did she have to be so clumsy?_

" _Mother, I—" I'm sorry. Please stop yelling. Thalia couldn't finish her sentence. She couldn't breathe. Her lungs pulled in sharp bursts of air and expelled them just as quickly. She didn't know how to stop it. Why couldn't she stop it?_

" _Shut up, shut up!" Thalia's mother covered her ears, tears streaming down her face. "Someone shut her up!"_

" _Thalia." Kneeling in front of her, Kayra's hands landed on Thalia's heaving shoulders. She took in another wailing gasp. "Thalia, focus on my voice. Don't pay attention to Mother. She's drunk. She doesn't know what she's saying. I need you to take deep breaths. Come on. Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out."_

 _Thalia followed the rhythm of her sister's voice, breathing deeply in through her nose and out through her mouth._

" _Breath in. Breath out."_

 _Slowly, she regained control of her lungs. Her anxieties about being yelled at and punished melted away. Punishments were only temporary. She could handle it. When she had calmed down, Kayra wiped a tear from her eyes and smiled._

" _That's a good girl. Princesses don't cry."_

 _Nodding, Thalia squeezed her eyes shut. She lowered herself to the floor, calmly picking up the pieces. It made sense to her. When something was broken, she had to put it back together. It would fix everything._

" _Thalia, no!"_

" _Ow!" Kayra's admonition startled Thalia. who sliced her finger on a shard of glass._

 _Kayra's hands wrapped under Thalia's armpits, dragging her back roughly from the mess. "What were you thinking? There are maids to clean up messes. You're a princess."_

 _Thalia wriggled around, tears forming back in her eyes. "I just thought… if I put it back together, Mother would be happy again. She might love me like she loves you…"_

 _Shaking her head, Kayra gave her a sad smile._

" _There's no fixing what's broken. This glass will never be good for anything but hurting people. Forget about mother. Forget about the glass. Your remorse is not a strength; it is a weakness that can get you killed. There are people waiting to tear you down, and the only way to survive is to tear them down first. You can't do that if you let guilt control you. Do you understand?"_

 _Thalia stared at the mess, then back at her sister. "I don't know if I want to be like that. I don't want to hurt anyone."_

" _You don't have a choice. I won't always be around to protect you." Kayra stroked Thalia's hair soothingly. "I'm sorry, love. I'm sorry that this is the lot you were born with."_

* * *

 _Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out._

At her mother's family estate, Thalia kept her eyes firmly planted on her face in the mirror as Sappho pinned dozens of jewels and ornaments into her hair. Being here was strange. On the sofa in the corner, she had thrown a tantrum over a gift meant for someone else. At the desk behind her, she had studied late into the night until her grandmother caught and scolded her. In front of this very mirror, she had been dressed to visit Serendine for their playdates. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes as a sense of nostalgia washed over her. She had forgotten how she loved her grandmother's cooking, how the house went quiet when Kayra sang, how one of the servants occasionally snuck her extra treats after dinner.

 _Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out._

Princesses don't cry.

Thalia gripped the edge of the vanity, conscious of the fact that if she did the same to her dress, as she usually would, the fabric would wrinkle. She had yet to reunite with Kayra— a servant had met her and Sappho at the port to escort them to the estate— but she wanted to look her best when she did. Back in her childhood, the maids used to whisper their lamentations that Thalia wasn't more like Kayra when they thought she couldn't hear. Thalia had never scolded them. After all, she used to wonder the same thing.

When she stepped into the ballroom tonight, though, she would be the epitome of grace. She would stand before her Parthevian sister with the olive skin and amethyst eyes she had inherited from a race Kayra had insisted were inferior, and she would show her that they were equals. Thalia was no longer a clumsy child. She had grown into a woman, and she was engaged to one of the most powerful men on the planet. She even had a magi on her side. There was no reason to worry.

Sappho smiled at her in the mirror, resting her chin on her shoulder. "Hold your head high, Princess. Tonight, you will go walk among our oppressors in the garb of our people, and they will see the face of those they have caused to suffer. You will remind them that they have taken what is not theirs. Tonight, you are not yourself. You are Attica."

Thalia nodded resolutely. "If I can win over the support of the Parthevian elite, it will be easier to get them to agree to peace negotiations later. They'll never give up control without a fight, but when it comes time to draw a treaty, it will benefit us to have their good will."

Perhaps Thalia didn't have much of an education on war, but she had clawed her way out of a powerless situation before. She had once commanded roaring crowds and navigated precarious situations daily. Convincing a few nobles that her cause was sympathetic enough to support would be easy.

"You can do this," Sappho said.

"Yes," Thalia agreed. She finally understood Muu's words. Destiny had a way of righting itself, and everything she had been through had brought her to this moment. The skills she had picked up as a slave were the skills she needed to take back a country. Her friends had tried to save her, to mold her into someone "good," but goodness had never been a part of her fate. Good and evil, such things were the stuff of fairytales. There was only the path set out for her and depravity. Honesty and consideration for others would not win her country back. Kindness was her depravity.

Nasha had been right. She was like him. She was like Lady Maader, and denying that was denying her strength.

"I can do this."

* * *

This was the second time Sinbad had been to Kayra's estate, but this time, he was not here to see the owner. He was waiting for his friend. At the bottom of the central staircase, he tapped his foot impatiently. Barbarossa's rise to power meant that he would soon hear news about his own country. The realization of his dream was close at hand, but he didn't know _how_ close. Would he hear the news tonight? Tomorrow? Three weeks from now? Tugging at his hair, he groaned and began to pace. It was enough to drive him crazy.

"Please do not wear a hole in Lady Kayra's carpet." Sappho leaned over the banister, her lips twitching upward in a wry smile. "There's no need to be impatient. Thalia will be down in a moment, and I'm sure the money to replace it would be better spent elsewhere."

Sinbad scratched his scalp sheepishly. "Oh… I wasn't thinking about Thalia. I have my own things to worry about."

"Then perhaps this is a bad time." Sappho wound her way down the staircase. "However, it can't wait. The princess trusts your judgment, and I trust hers. Therefore, I would like to approach you about a matter that I'm reluctant to discuss with her before consulting someone with whom she is a bit more… intimate."

Sinbad raised his eyebrows. "Intimate?"

"Anyone with eyes would know you two have a history." She stopped in front of him, folding her arms over her chest. "She's not subtle, and you don't _try_ to be."

"That's fair," he conceded. Even when Thalia wasn't talking to him, she'd made little effort to hide her feelings on the ship, and he had flirted with her shamelessly. "So, what's this about?"

"You've noticed she's been acting strangely since returning to Attica, I'm sure."

"This is about what happened in the temple." He sighed. "Ja'far filled me in on everything he knows already. Until she's willing to talk, I don't think we—"

"Everything _he_ knows, yes." Sappho nodded. "There was a piece of information Amaltheia and I have been sitting on. Before I made any accusations, I wanted to be absolutely sure it was the case… Now I have evidence." Pulling a book out of her himation, she handed it to him. "She was drugged."

"Drugged?" Sinbad drew in a deep breath. "Then, it should be out of her system by now, right? Why hasn't she returned to normal?"

"The ritual she was supposed to undergo was nothing more than a symbolic cleansing, but she was showing signs of coming down from a merosh overdose when she came back to us."

Sinbad ran his fingers over the leather binding of the tome before opening to look at its contents. He didn't recognize these letters, but he'd noticed Thalia often wrote in them when she wanted to keep something private.

"It has long been known among our people that the merosh flower can relax the body and induce sleep. In low doses, it has been used as a sleeping aid for centuries. In higher doses, it can cause vivid dreams, ones that are often mistaken for visions. The 'indoctrination ritual' listed in this book is a late addition. The language is less archaic than the earlier entries, and it uses a combination of refined merosh and incantations to guide the induced dream. The book claims it can facilitate communion with the goddess, but…"

"She thinks she had a vision." Sinbad closed the book, his blood running cold. "It would explain her sudden conviction in a goddess she never believed in before."

"Her state of mind when she was put under would affect the nature of her dream. At first, it would be pleasant from the high of the merosh, but as it wore off, if she were feeling something like fear or guilt, it would be magnified in a nightmare. Given her history with the temple itself, it's not surprising she would be feeling guilt and fear."

Sinbad looked up from the book, returning his gaze to Sappho. "Why would you come to me first? Don't you think she deserves to know?"

Sappho cast her eyes to the ground. "The princess is as stubborn as she is afraid. No matter what she says, I do not believe we are equals. She will always be the woman who should have been my queen, but she views _you_ as a king. If it came from you, I think she would accept it."

Sinbad handed the book back to her. "I think you're underestimating her esteem for you, but you're right about her stubbornness. I'll talk to her tonight, after the party. We don't know how she'll react, but I don't think it would be right to spring something on her so suddenly before she meets her sister again."

"Thank you, Sinbad." Backing away, Sappho bowed. "I believe you will be a wise king."

"I'm ready! Sappho, where did you go- oh!" As Sappho discreetly hid the book back in her himation, Thalia peered down at them from above. "I didn't realize my escort had already arrived."

"Then, you'll excuse me." Sappho backed away, bowing her way out of the room.

 _Princess_ Thalia Alexandris. Sinbad's heart squeezed tightly in his chest as the slave girl he had met three years ago wound her way down the central staircase dripping with dazzling jewels. They caught the light of the setting sun, glittering as they swayed with each willowy step. It struck him that the gods in her stories could never exist. Surely if they did, she would have been spirited away by now as one of their brides. The fact that someone like her would even look at someone like him… how was that even possible? He was just a low-born fisherman, and she was…

"Thalia." His voice came out thin from his dry throat as he held out his hand to her. He wasn't normally one to find women or royalty intimidating, but the more silks and jewels she put on, the further away she felt. His Thalia looked radiant in whatever cheap frock she picked up off the street and thought her teal shawl was the height of fashion. But, when her eyes rose and met his unflinchingly, her shoulders held back with the confidence that had been beaten out of her in her slave days, he suddenly wasn't sure if his Thalia had ever been the "real" Thalia, flawed or not. Perhaps the version of her he had known had been born of a necessity to survive. She had slid into the role of a royal so quickly, he wasn't sure which was the lie anymore.

Her lips pulled up in a demure smile. Placing her hand in his, she tugged it away before he could kiss it. Of course. If she couldn't talk to him, lip to hand contact was probably something reserved for the bedroom in Attica. Tonight, he would tell her the truth about her vision, but until then, he would simply have to endure her silence. It was a good thing he liked the sound of his own voice.

"This won't work." He shook his head playfully, trying to channel the easy familiarity that they usually shared. "Thalia, you're going to draw way too much attention. It's not fair to the other girls." Her eyebrows shot up skeptically as if to dare him to criticize her clothing again. He chuckled, bringing his hand up to caress a dangling earring. "I won't be able to take my eyes off you."

Her breath caught, and a flush worked its way across her cheeks. There it was, the reassurance he needed. No matter how blue her blood ran, her heart beat for _him._ It was amazing how much she could say without opening her mouth.

"Come on, Thalia. Our carriage awaits."

She nodded, marching stiffly ahead of him, her shoulders held tense. Sinbad let her lead the way, fighting back a smile. Suddenly, it didn't matter which version of Thalia was the real one. Every facet of her he uncovered was something new to adore, and every one of them loved him.

Pushing his hair back, he let out a quiet, nervous laugh. He couldn't return her feelings, not the way she deserved. He had too much responsibility riding on his shoulders with the company and founding a country. He couldn't live without her either, and she was miserable without him.

An uneasiness settled in his stomach as he sat in silence across from her in the dark carriage. The driver took off, and he watched the glint of her swinging earrings. Despite the lavish cushions of the seats, the ride was silent and uncomfortable. It felt wrong sitting on the information Sappho had entrusted him with. The dower frown on her painted lips, the far-off look in her eyes, the tears that threatened to fall— he had the ability to rid her of them right now, but there was also the chance she wouldn't react well. She was looking forward to meeting her sister again, and with one of the people she blamed for the fall of her country being the host of the party, he couldn't risk unsettling her.

"Thalia."

The silence had grown oppressive until he could no longer stand it. He _needed_ to hear her voice because however much he tried to ignore it, he couldn't stop the thoughts tumbling around in his head. He was gaining a country. He was losing her. He was protecting her by keeping silent, or maybe he was betraying her. He didn't know _what_ he was doing, not anymore. The waves were unsettled, tugging him in a thousand directions. Nothing felt right around her, but it felt _good_.

"You can speak around male family members, right?" It was nothing but a flimsy excuse to get her to talk, but he had to try. "In that case, I'm the closest thing you have to a brother, so it should be fine."

He had expected to be met with silence, but to his surprise, she answered him directly.

"You are _nothing_ like a brother to me." She turned her gaze from the window toward him. "Don't say such foolish things."

"If it means you'll talk to me, I'll say it again."

"It's precisely because I don't see you as a brother that I can't…" She looked away.

"You can't what?" Sinbad leaned forward. "Talk to your best friend?"

She pursed her lips, staring out the window.

"You don't have to worry about that anymore, Thalia."

She shot him an incredulous glance, her posture straightening.

"I'll explain later tonight," he assured her, "but until then… please. Trust me."

* * *

 _A/N: I'm not sure if Thalia's development here feels like it's coming out of nowhere, but I've been trying pretty hard to lead up to it. One day, I'll rewrite this and fix a lot of the flaws. Please forgive me ^^ The first draft always sucks._


	53. Party

The sound of wheels over cobblestone and the jostling of the carriage couldn't drown out Thalia's pounding heart. She stared at Sinbad, her hands gripping the edges of her seat. He wanted her to trust him, as if he thought he could free her from the bonds that tied her to the goddess the way he'd helped her escape slavery. He couldn't have found out about her vision, could he? He was either lying or confused. If actually knew what was holding her back, he wouldn't have said something so blasphemous. Then again, this was Sinbad. If anyone had enough hubris to think he could challenge a god and come out on top, it was him.

Suddenly, she was reminded of her dream, of how she had held him as blood spilled from his chest, of how the goddess had so easily impaled him. No… she couldn't let anything like that happen. If she lost him, she would…

She drew in a ragged breath, a single tear streaming down her cheek. Afraid of drawing Sinbad's attention, she didn't move to wipe it away. He would definitely try to comfort her if he realized she was crying, and right now, she couldn't bear his kindness. She didn't deserve it, didn't deserve him.

As her lungs pulled in another sharp, involuntary gasp of air, she realized she was losing control.

 _Please, Asena. Not now, not in front of_ him.

She focused on the rhythm of her breathing, on keeping it steady.

 _Breath in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out._

He was staring at her. Of that, she was keenly aware. Molten amber burned her skin, pleading for her to listen. He was trying to fix things. He was _always_ trying to fix things— her life, his country, the _world._ But this time, it was futile. Thalia was beyond repair. Everything she touched fell apart; everyone she loved ended up angry or dead. Him, too… she would ruin him like she'd ruined everything else in her life.

Through the window, she saw the bright lights gleaming through the doors of Parthevia's Celebration Hall. She had visited a few times in her childhood and recognized its facade immediately. Taking one last steadying breath, she closed her eyes. On the count of three, she wouldn't feel anything. On the count of three, her performance would begin.

She was fine.

 _One…_

Sinbad was a stranger.

 _Two…_

Barbarossa wasn't to blame for what had happened to her family.

 _Three._

* * *

Inside Parthevia's Celebration Hall, men and women mingled in robes and ornate dresses. In the low light, the ladies' jewels twinkled, flashing like embers from an unseen fire. Low murmuring and the clinking of glasses saturated the air punctuated by laughter. Thalia glanced around anxiously, looking for her sister's familiar face in the crowd. It had been so many years since they'd met. Would they recognize each other right away? Kayra had said she missed Thalia, that she regretted their past. That meant Thalia was loved, right? That there was someone in her family who had loved her all this time?

Thalia wiped her sweaty hands on her skirt. Maybe it was a lie. This whole thing could have been a trap to lure her to Parthevia and kill off the last of the royal Attican bloodline. Anxiously, she glanced at her escort and fellow guest, Sinbad, reassuring herself that if he was here, nothing would happen. He caught her looking and flashed her a dazzling smile.

"What's wrong? Do I have an eyelash on my face again?"

 _Damn it._ Her heart thudded in her chest, heat rising in her cheeks as she realized he still remembered that day on the boat. He'd caught her staring, and she had brushed it off with that pitiful excuse. Gods, she wished he'd been drunk enough to forget.

She nodded, not bothering to come up with anything more convincing. Dread settled in her stomach. Sinbad couldn't protect her; it wasn't his place. If he interfered in her life much more, he could…

 _Breathe in. Breath out. Breath in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out._

No, she needed to get past relying on him for her safety. Taking a small step away from him, she attempted to put some distance between them. At some point, she had wandered too close. Anyone who saw them together would have thought they were a couple.

 _Forget about Kayra. Forget about Sinbad. Forget, forget, forget…_

An elderly man ambled past Thalia with a glass of strong wine, the sweet smell of grapes soured by fermentation. The smell brought back vivid memories of her mother seated in one of the chairs in this room, humming quietly under her br—

"I wonder where he got that," Sinbad mused aloud by her side, snapping her out of her daze. He laughed when he noticed her wrinkled nose. "I promise I'll go easy on the booze, tonight. As your escort, I have a grave responsibility."

He winked, a gesture that made her reeling heart skip a beat.

 _Focus, Thalia. Tonight, you are Attica._

"It's okay." Thalia forced the corners of her lips to turn up. "Go ahead and enjoy yourself. I'll be fine. I'm probably at least distantly related to half the people here anyway."

Raising an eyebrow, Sinbad leaned in. "You're talking."

"Come on. Don't act so surprised." She withdrew from her sleeve a feather-tipped fan like those Parthevian nobles used and unfolded with a delicate flick of her wrist. Pressing it to her lips, she smiled with her eyes. "This is a party. You should be having fun."

"Why does it sound like you're shooing me away?" His shoulders slumped. "The reason I didn't bring Ja'far was that I thought I'd have you. I don't know anyone here."

"When has that stopped you before?" She swatted her fan at him playfully before catching herself. She was flirting. Why couldn't she stop _flirting_ with him? Cautiously, she grabbed her fan hand and clasped it to her chest, holding it there to prevent it from doing anything else without her permission.

 _Focus. You have a mission._

Tonight, she would best serve the goddess by making allies of the barbarians. She would talk, she would flirt, she would do _whatever_ it took to convince the nobility that she and, by extension, her people were humans worthy of mercy. Her clothes and face were Attican, but her manners and demeanor would be comfortably familiar to this crowd. Grandmother Uparmiya had taught her well, but with Sinbad by her side, she would never be able to bring herself to manipulate the way she needed to.

"You'll do fine without me. You always have."

"I do fine with you, too." He scratched the back of his neck. "I miss being a team, don't you?"

 _I do._

"We're not a team anymore." She bit her lip, glancing down at her feet. If she were going to say one honest thing tonight, it should be to him. "But thank you. For taking me in, for being patient with me, for keeping me company even when I'm being absurdly difficult." She shrugged. "Thank you for coming with me tonight. I will be eternally grateful to you."

He swallowed thickly. "If I didn't know better, I'd think this sounded like a goodbye."

Thalia blinked slowly. It did seem like a goodbye, didn't it? Maybe it was because the girl he'd tried to mold her into was already gone. She was exactly the kind of person he hated and always had been. It was best if they parted ways now, before he realized that.

"I'll be going home with Kayra tonight." She reached out and squeezed his hand, savoring the callouses, burning them into her memory. "We'll meet again once you and I are king and queen of our own countries."

 _And then… ?_

"Thalia, no." She tried to pull her hand away, but he wouldn't let her go. "I have to talk to you tonight. After the party. Please."

"Sinbad." _You're safer if you stay away from me._ "Don't make a scene." She pried his fingers away from her wrist and walked away. He let her walk away. Was that what she wanted? Couldn't he at least come after her?

She clenched her fists, firming her resolve. It was best if he let her go. It was the safest option.

 _Forget Sinbad. Forget._

Her eyes scanned the room, looking for someone to introduce herself to. She was most adept at charming men, so that was where she decided to begin. She spotted her target by the buffet table, a lanky, middle-aged man bearing an ostentatious ring like that of a noble. Thalia surreptitiously inched closer until she could see the insignia engraved into it.

 _The lion. He's of the Dumitru family._ That meant he had influence. His wife was also conveniently absent, which worked in Thalia's favor. These noblemen were only faithful in the company of their spouses. He was more likely to acknowledge her.

As he reached for a sweet, Thalia stuck her hand out at the same time. Their fingers brushed, and she hurriedly pulled away, forcing out a self-deprecating laugh.

"My apologies, young lady." He cleared his throat, tugging at his collar. "I didn't see you there."

"No, no, it's my fault," she said, hiding behind her fan bashfully. "It's been so long since I've been to one of these parties. I was much too eager to get my hands on those tarts."

 _Liar. You've always hated those._

"Oh? Usually the younger crowd goes for something a bit less traditional… " The man took a step back, scanning her up and down. He froze as he took in her Attican features. "You're… Simay's daughter, aren't you? The one that disappeared?"

Thalia lowered her fan, widening her eyes as though she were surprised. She had been prepared for this scenario; it made sense that the people who had seen her grow up would recognize her. He doubtlessly had questions about where she had been all this time, but talking too openly about her experience as a slave would paint her in a weak light. She needed to be careful about how she spun her story.

"Disappeared… it feels strange to be talked about that way. I _was_ gone for a long, long time." She gave him an enticing smile. "Tell me, what have you heard?"

* * *

Sinbad watched as a crowd gathered around the snack table— around Thalia. She was always charming in her own way, but she hadn't drawn crowds like this since she'd been a dancer at Ria Venus Island. She hadn't needed to. Generally, she preferred the attention of one or two people at most. He grabbed a glass of wine off a passing tray and brought it to his downturned lips.

"It's only natural they would be curious." Sinbad jumped as Barbarossa appeared from behind him. "After all, there was a war fought over her presumed death. She's nothing but a novelty, but the Parthevian man who brought her home…" He gave a slick smile. "I'm much more interested in you."

Sinbad cleared his throat, uncomfortable with Barbarossa's talk of Parthevian supremacy. No matter how much he had learned to respect Barbarossa as a mentor, the subject remained a point of contention between them. Gently, he tried to nudge the subject in a different direction.

"Thalia's sister should be here, right?"

"She's in a last-minute meeting with some of her friends." Barbarossa shrugged. "But your openness with Thalia's whereabouts has already paid off."

 _Paid off?_ Sinbad swallowed, his heart pounding in his chest. Barbarossa had implied his reward would be a country. His dream… it was finally coming true. Ever since he'd set out at fourteen, he'd worked so hard to get here. He had entered dungeons when no one else had come out alive. He had founded a company and essentially sold himself into slavery to protect it. All of these things had led him to this moment, and now he had done it. He had built a country with his own hands. All that was left was…

"Step into one of the drawing rooms with me, will you?" Barbarossa gestured toward a set of double doors. "We should discuss this matter further in private."

"Yes."

Sinbad glanced back at Thalia, who was lost in a throng of people. Thalia would be fine by herself for a while. He couldn't put off his destiny for her. He had too many people relying on him.

* * *

Thalia was a performer, and she was good at it. No matter how happy she had been during her time at the Sindria Trading Company, she had never quite reached the levels of success she had obtained under Lady Maader. There had been a moment of doubt in her mind, a fear that she wouldn't be able to channel that old talent, but here she was. The nobility around her hung on her every word as she recounted a romanticized, palatable version of her days as a slave.

People were never interested in the truth. They liked stories with clean narratives and archetypal heroes. If she told them that she'd tried to hasten Dinarzade's sale, that would make her out to be a villain. No, in Thalia's story, she and Dinarzade had always been the closest of friends. Dinarzade had tried to protect Thalia from Fatima's whipping, but in the end, there was nothing she could have done. And in this version, it was her fiance who had rescued her from the men in the theater. Muu Alexius, the man she was madly in love with.

"After the whipping… it must have left scars." A sympathetic voice rose from the crowd, interrupting her tale.

"Oh… the scars. I'm told they'll fade in a few years if I use ointment on them." Thalia hung her head, shedding a fake tear. Then, tightening her fist, she looked back up to the crowd and gave a well-timed smile. She was strong. Look how easily she could bounce back! "But my fiance doesn't mind them at all. Despite everything, he cherishes me."

The women in the crowd swooned. "How romantic!"

In truth, Thalia wasn't sure how Muu would react to her scars. She almost hoped he would find them repulsive. Maybe then, they could put consummating the marriage off for a couple of years. They wouldn't be expected to have children right away anyway, not at their age.

"Truly, Thalia. I think your story has moved everyone here tonight." A man blew his nose on a handkerchief. "To go from a princess to being treated like a slave… it's absolutely tragic."

The man with whom she had begun the conversation chimed in. "To think… you went through all that and returned only to find our monarchy had only further victimized you." He turned to the crowd. "I am more certain than ever that this revolution is what Parthevia needed!"

They burst into cheers— cheers for Barbarossa's rise in power. Thalia beamed at these people, the ones who had so quickly believed rumors of her death and pressured the monarchy they now blamed for her fate to act. It made her sick, but she kept her smile locked in place. She had done what she had come here to do.

 _Breathe._

Thalia let her shoulders relax. She had accomplished her mission with better results than she would have dared hope. It seemed when it came time for negotiations, the nobles would be more than willing to treat her with sympathy. In fact, it sounded as though whatever fighting they would do would be nothing more than for show. Her victory was almost guaranteed.

She was successful, and she hadn't needed Sinbad or _anyone's_ help. She placed her hand flat against her racing heart, willing it to slow. So, this was what winning felt like. Her head swiveled around, searching for Sinbad, but he wasn't in the crowd. That little spark of pride died just a little. Knowing that she couldn't share this with him, that if he were here, she wouldn't have even _had_ this moment because he would inevitably have overshadowed her, was sobering.

 _Breathe._

Then, the cheering died down, and Thalia heard a familiar voice.

"Excuse me. Pardon me."

Sweet like a lark…

"Please let me through."

Thalia had heard that voice a thousand times.

A woman with honey eyes and painted lips pried her way through the crowd, her long, aubergine hair pulled back into a bun. "I would like to see…" She paused as soon as she locked eyes with Thalia. "... my sister."

Roaring. It was all Thalia could hear, a roaring in her ears. She took a trembling step forward as tears welled in her eyes.

 _Princesses don't cry._

Blinking them away, Thalia took another step forward. "Kayra?"

"Thalia!" Kayra ran toward Thalia, tugging her into a suffocating embrace. "My dear, sweet sister. Don't you know how you've worried me?"

Thalia tried to choke out a reply, but her throat was constricted. She stood in a daze in the arms of the woman who told her she was inferior, the woman who had done everything in her power to protect her. She had betrayed Thalia's country. She had searched for Thalia all these years. What was the truth? Did Kayra love her?

 _Princesses don't…_

Kayra's hand stroked Thalia's hair affectionately, and it was almost enough to undo her. Thalia's vision blurred as she took in her sister's scent. She smelled the same as ever— of spices and perfumes and honey and home. Hesitantly, Thalia raised her hands to return her sister's embrace. This didn't seem to be a trap. Kayra genuinely seemed to have missed her.

When Kayra finally pulled away, she glanced around at the crowd surrounding them.

 _That's right,_ Thalia thought _, they're still watching. This is good for my image too…_

"If you don't mind, let's take this somewhere private." Kayra gestured to one of several sets of doors in the back. "You and I have so much to catch up on.

Thalia nodded slowly, allowing her sister to lead her by the hand. Part of her couldn't believe this was happening. It wasn't real. Kayra had been dead in her mind for so long, it was like seeing a ghost.

They sat in chairs opposite one another, Kayra sitting up straight as Thalia shifted uncomfortably. She kept stealing glances at her sister, ethereally beautiful, impossibly composed. Thalia suddenly felt small again, small and insecure.

She wasn't small anymore, though. She was bigger and braver.

 _Speak._

"I-"

"How-"

Both women interrupted each other at the same time and fell back into silence. Thalia picked at the peeling leather of the chair nervously as she looked around. There were dozens of bookshelves all lined with tomes. She recognized the binding of Sinbad's works and smiled. His stories had found their way to a place like this. He was so talented.

Kayra's gaze followed hers to the books. When she looked back at Thalia, she frowned.

"The boy you came in with, Sinbad." Kayra shattered the quiet with her observation. "You like him."

"I- I don't know what you…"

Thalia tried to deny it, but her tongue was suddenly too clumsy to lie. Instead, she averted her eyes, training them on a black knife by Kayra's side. It seemed to emit some ominous glow, or the opposite of one, like it sucked the light out of the air around it. Looking at it made her feel unsettled/

Kayra sighed, folding her legs demurely under her chair and resting her chin on her hand. Thalia returned her attention to her sister. "It seems we both have poor taste in men. I was hoping you had better judgment."

"Sinbad and I aren't—" Thalia cut herself off, noticing the implications in Kayra's words. "I thought you were announcing your engagement to Barbarossa tonight."

Thalia had practiced her fake smile and empty congratulatory statement for hours in the mirror preparing herself to face _that man_ after what he'd done…

 _Breathe._

"We'll see. Ambitious men are fickle that way." Kayra let out a bitter laugh. "But at some point, when you've sold your soul to be with someone, there's no going back. I spent my life chasing him, becoming someone powerful enough that he could use, and he-" She cut herself off. "But I'm yours isn't like that, is he?"

Thalia let out an anxious laugh and held up her engagement ring. "Sinbad's not _mine._ I have a fiance."

"Do you make a habit of holding the hands of men who aren't your fiance?" Kayra's cherubic lips pulled up into a grin. "Or is it just with Sinbad?"

Thalia stopped fiddling with the leather. "Excuse me?" Wasn't this a little invasive for their first conversation in years? Couldn't they talk about something a bit more neutral, like the weather? "You were watching me come in?"

"My dear, I have eyes everywhere in Parthevia. Information is vital to maintaining power." Kayra ran her finger along the blade of the black knife. "And I happen to know power is what you need."

"What are you saying?" Thalia sat up straight. "I have power. My fiance is one of the most powerful men in the world, and he has sworn—"

"Your fiance." Kayra's eyes glinted, her expression amused. "Yes, the Alexius boy. I know all about him. Indeed, he is powerful, but he cannot help you."

Thalia's mouth ran dry. He couldn't help her? But Asena had said… she had _promised._ I had a vision. The goddess-"

"Yes, your destiny is to follow that strange religion of yours and become a stepping stone for a great king to come along generations from now." Kayra held her hands out pityingly. "As for you, you're going to die during childbirth, all for some greater plan set in place by an arrogant fool."

Thalia shook her head, trying to wrap her head around the nonsense Kayra was speaking. Her life itself… it was meaningless? She had gone through all this just to die tragically young and bring a child into this world? A child she would never even get to hold?

"How would you know?" Thalia gripped the armrests of her chair. "How can you know my destiny?"

Kayra looked over her shoulder. "Falan, would you please show yourself? My sister is having trouble believing, and I can't blame her. I was skeptical myself at first."

Thalia followed her gaze and found nothing but bookshelves. Then, a flash of bright light blinded her. When she opened her eyes again, a veiled woman in a pink robe stood where there had been no one before.

Thalia stood up, trying to ascertain how this woman could have gotten there so quickly. The only door was on the other side of the room.

"Who are you?" Thalia demanded. She wished she had her sword with her right now, but she had left that with Sharrkan after the vision. She didn't think she would have to protect herself. The goddess was supposed to protect her, but this situation raised her hair on end. She didn't trust it.

"I am a seer," she responded. "I see the rukh, and it tells me the future."

Thalia recognized that lilting voice. She would have recognized it anywhere. It was the voice of the charlatan who had given that phony prophecy so many years ago. She was part of the organization, the one that had been interfering with Thalia's life.

She began to lunge. "You motherfu—"

"Watch your language and sit back down." Kayra's voice came as a command, and Thalia's body instinctively obeyed. Kayra directed her attention back to Falan. "Show her what you showed me."

Thalia scowled. "I don't need to see _anything._ That woman ruined my life!"

"She was trying to _save_ it." Kayra gestured to Falan. "Explain to her how the magic works."

"This is clairvoyance magic," the woman lifted her staff. "It can only show what was, what is, or what will be. When I cast the spell, you will see fragments of your future, Thalia Alexandris."

"Bullshit." Thalia contemplated disobeying Kayra's order to claw her eyes out, but the little girl in her remembered that Kayra's guidance had always kept her safe before. Falan was a magician, and Thalia had nothing to defend herself with. There was no situation in which Thalia could win.

Falan's staff clacked against the ground, and a blue portal opened where the table had been moments ago. In it, Thalia saw herself with Muu Alexius, their smiles strained and uncomfortable. She saw her swollen belly, her sunken cheeks, her husbands' awkward attempts to comfort her. Then, she saw herself screaming, blood gushing out from between her legs— too much blood. She was bleeding out. She was dying, and she barely looked over twenty.

No, nonono. It couldn't be true. That meant, she had three, maybe four years left at most. It meant she would never be happy, never do _anything._ Four years wasn't enough. Four years was nothing…

" _Stop!"_ she screamed, her nails digging into the leather of her armrests. Her lungs drew in a shuddering, heavy breath. "That's enough… please."

Slumping in her chair, she looked from Falan to Kayra. "I don't… how am I supposed to believe this? It could be some kind of illusion. Why are you…?"

"As I said," Falan explained, "This magic cannot show anything but the truth. You can choose to ignore this warning, but it is at your own peril."

 _But the goddess said…_

That's right. The goddess said Thalia was worthless, that she existed only to serve her. Thalia was disposable to her.

Visions of her own and Sinbad's death swam through her head. If she rejected her destiny to be with Sinbad, the goddess would destroy him. If she followed her destiny, she would die after a painful, meaningless existence. There was no situation where she could win. There was no way for them to exist in the same world, together _or_ apart.

Kayra gave Thalia a sympathetic expression before turning to the magician. "I think she gets the idea, Falan. Please leave us."

"Yes, Lady Kayra."

There was another flash of light, and Thalia was certain that if she looked up, she would find the magician was gone.

"If you were to simply reject your destiny, I could give you the power to forge your own." Thalia raised her head to find her sister was holding out the black dagger.

"Following destiny… it's the right thing to do," Thalia whispered. "You're asking me to fall into depravity, but a life of hatred and anger isn't any better than dying young."

"Spare me your martyr complex." Kayra closed one hand around the handle of the dagger. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to live. There's nothing wrong with cursing the unjust, either. Selflessness is not a virtue, not when there are people working so hard to keep you alive."

Thalia was silent.

"At this point, it doesn't matter anyway." Kayra set the knife back down. "If you don't curse your destiny, your boyfriend will for you. Do you know what he and my beloved fiance are discussing as we speak?"

"Excuse me?" Boyfriend… she was talking about Sinbad, right?

"They're in negotiations for the sale of Attica."

 _What?_

"My guess is that he won't turn down the offer. After all, he might never get another chance like this."

Thalia tried to stand, but her legs wouldn't work. Sinbad… was going to buy Attica. To give it back to her?

 _No…_

His dream… he would never give that up, but if she let him interfere with her life, he might…

"That boy is beloved by destiny. He can do no wrong in its eyes, but you… At this point, you'll never fulfill your destiny either way. It's a broken system, I know." Kayra picked up the knife again, pricking her finger and drawing blood. It absorbed into the blade, and the ominous atmosphere around the thing seemed to grow even darker. "And you don't have a choice but to let him push you around. I just thought you might want the power to stick up to him."

Attica… the thing Thalia had worked for, her only reason for existing… how could Sinbad just _take_ that from her? She needed this. She needed something, _anything,_ to live for. And he was going to take that from her.

Kayra stood up and placed the knife in Thalia's lap. "Why don't you keep this on you and think it over." She started to exit the room, then paused. "I hope this will make up for all the times I hurt you, Thalia. Even if I didn't show it, I always loved you."

 _Breathe._


	54. Dark Metal Vessel

" _I need to go to the port near Attica."_

" _Excuse me, Miss?"_

" _Please, I'll pay you in jewelry. Take everything I have. Just get me there."_

" _I can't just—"_

" _Please!"_

…

Please…

Thalia scrambled up the side of the same cliff she and Ja'far had climbed on her first return to Attica. She didn't remember coming here. All she knew was that she must have taken a small fishing boat, and that her hands were blistered and bleeding. Every moment of her climb was excruciating. Her grip was slick with blood, and one of her hands slipped. Dangling precariously, she thought for a moment that she was going to die. But it didn't matter. She was going to die anyway. Four years from now, four seconds from now… her life was pointless all the same.

But she kept going, though she couldn't explain why. She swung her arm back toward the cliff, and she pulled herself up higher, higher, higher, climbing, clawing, scrambling alone, the same way she always had.

Except, this time, she got somewhere. She collapsed as soon as she reached the top, her face buried in the dirt. She was tired, so tired. She lay there for a long while, her breaths shallow and limbs heavy. Pointless. It was pointless. Everything was pointless.

But, for whatever reason, she got up anyway to carelessly wander through the streets. If the guards caught her, what could they do? Kill her? The idea that she would care whether she lived or died was absurd. After all, it didn't matter. Nothing did. As the sun began to set, she expected the streets to fill with defeated souls, people with demeanors not unlike her own, as they had last time, but they remained eerily silent. It was strange, she thought. There were no lights on in the houses she passed, not a soul in sight.

Where were her people?

She hadn't known where she was heading until she reached the entrance to the temple. It was then she understood. She couldn't die yet, not until she talked to the goddess one more time. Maybe it wasn't too late. Maybe if she prayed hard enough…

But first, she needed incense.

"High Priestess!"

Thalia called out for the woman who had set her on this path, but no one responded. Not her, not her acolytes. Treading through the temple, Thalia searched for them everywhere, even in the forbidden, holy areas. There was no one, just dozens of those small, red vials Amaltheia and Sappho had kept on their bookshelf. She checked the empty treasury and the priestesses' corridors, but the echoes of her own footsteps were her only company.

Dread settled in her stomach as she realized she had traveled half the length of the island in a day and had yet to meet a single person. It was as though everyone had vanished.

 _No._

Thalia cried out harder, her voice tearing from her throat. "Hello? Anyone!"

 _This wasn't happening._

"Please…"

 _How could an entire island just… disappear?_

Night had fallen, casting long shadows on the wall, and Thalia had an idea. Maybe there was no one _here,_ but from the entrance, she could see all the way to the docks on a clear night. If she looked out, she would see a sea of glimmering candlelit windows as her citizens prepared for bed. That was it! She rushed through the halls, her dirty dress trailing behind her, the clap of her sandals pounding against the marble floors.

Except, when she reached the portico, the only lights she saw were stars.

Thalia fell to her knees, tugging at her hair. Control… she needed control. She couldn't' even take her country back now. That opportunity was gone, taken from her by Barbarossa's government. Of course, Sinbad was having Attica practically _handed_ to him on a silver platter. It was so _typical._ He was beloved by destiny, and she was despised. She was so despised, she had essentially been ejected from her pathetic, short fate. Now what was she supposed to do? Just let him take Attica?

She couldn't. The goddess had threatened him, told her that he would destroy the country.

She took out the knife Kayra had given her and turned it over, wondering what, exactly, it was. Kayra had said it could give her the power to stand up to Sinbad, but how? It was just a strange-looking blade.

Then, she remembered how it had absorbed Kayra's blood, and how the atmosphere around it had seemed to grow darker. Yes, it had some sort of power, and It needed blood. She pricked her finger, watching the crimson bead wrap around the blade like a vine. Then, it pulsed before disappearing into the jet black metal.

A jolt of energy flowed through the handle, flooding her with some sort of dark euphoria. It was empty and numb, but, for the first time, she felt truly powerful. Raising the knife, she pointed it toward a tree and willed the power back into the blade. The lush, green leaves began to fade to shriveled, black husks. Then, power sapped from her body, the knife stopped working. She walked over to the tree, touching one of the diseased branches. It dissolved into a cloud of black dust, disseminating into the wind.

Thalia's breath caught in her throat. This was from a single drop of blood. If she managed to use this in a battle… even Sinbad would have to acknowledge her as an opponent. She could stand up to him. She could take control of her life again. She could protect him, protect Attica…

"There you are." Thalia looked up to find a man approaching her in the dark. She held up her knife defensively, prepared to defend herself. "Ja'far said I might find you here."

Not just any man. It was Sinbad. His voice was as deep and rich as ever, but this time, instead of comforting her, it set her on edge. He was going to try to calm her down like he always did, but this wasn't some petty quarrel with Drakon. This was about keeping him safe from the goddess. She would do _whatever_ it took to keep him from destroying Attica and himself along with it. Something was already wrong. Her people were missing, and her intuition told her that if it Barbarossa hadn't been making room for Sinbad's new country, they would still be here.

"How did you get here?" she demanded, brandishing the knife toward him.

He scratched his neck, his demeanor cheerful. "I flew here using Baal. When you never came back last night, your sister got worried and came to me. I admit I was a bit worried, but as long as you're safe, I—" His eyes locked on the knife, his disarming smile morphing into a frown. "Thalia, why are you pointing that at me? Put that thing away."

"No." She lifted her chin defiantly.

Raising his hands in surrender, he furrowed his eyebrows. "Come on, what's this about? It's me, Sinbad. We're friends."

She held the knife up higher as he took a step closer. "Stay back! I know what you're planning!"

"Planning?" He cocked his head to the side. "It seems there's been some kind of misunderstanding. Put down the knife, and let's talk."

Thalia let out a disbelieving huff. "Misunderstanding? Barbarossa offered to sell you Attica last night, didn't he?"

He drew in a sharp breath through his teeth. "You found out about that."

"And you're going to buy it, even though it was mine! It was my birthright, Sin!" She snarled at him, attempting to look threatening. She couldn't make him submit without the knife's power, and it needed blood. She was never going to be able to strike Sinbad, not as she was, but…

Thalia had blood. She could get it from herself.

As he took another step forward, she pointed the blade toward her stomach. Instantly, he drew back. "Please don't do anything rash. Come on. You know I would never hurt you."

"Then let me have my country." She brought the knife closer to her stomach. "Hand control over to me." She couldn't let him interfere, or the goddess would… "If you've ever valued me as anything other than a pawn, you'll return it to me."

He cast his eyes to the ground. "I'm sorry, Thalia. I can't. It's too late. This place is empty. Before he even made the offer to me, Barbarossa evicted the remaining citizens. There's no one left for you to rule."

"Bullshit!" Thalia stumbled backward. He was wrong. He had to be wrong. This was only temporary. She could fix this. She _had_ to. "People will come back! As soon as you stop interfering with my fate, they'll come back!"

"And if they don't?" Sinbad reached out toward her hesitantly. "You can't run an empty country, but I already have thousands of citizens waiting for the opportunity to call this land their home. Besides, I didn't buy Attica for myself. I bought it for both of us. I'm asking you to marry me. That's what you wanted, isn't it?"

"It's too late for that!" She drew in a sharp breath. He reached out to her, but she pushed then knife into her stomach until it tore the fabric of her dress and drew blood. She was serious. She would fight him for Attica if it meant saving him from an angry goddess.

"Thalia, what the hell!" He dashed toward her, but she halted him in his tracks, sending the power flooding her veins toward him. He dropped to his knees, his veins bulging. His hands shot up to his throat as she struggled to breathe.

 _No._

 _He's not supposed to die._

She willed the power to stop flowing into the knife, but nothing happened.

 _He's not supposed to—_

She dropped her weapon. As he pulled in a gasping inhale, she dashed toward him, throwing her arms around his recovering form.

"I'm" _Gasp._ "sorry!" _Gasp._ "I didn't know…" _Gasp._ "...it would do…" _Gasp._ "...that!" _Gasp._ I'm sorry!"

Now, she was the one who couldn't breathe. He hadn't seen her like this since after what Marcus had done. She was supposed to have gotten better. She didn't _do_ this anymore; she didn't lose control. Lately, these attacks were coming back. This time, it wasn't Marcus that scared her, it was spending her life pretending to be a devout servant of Asena when she loathed the goddess's teachings with every fiber of her being. It was sharing a bed with a man she hardly knew and becoming the queen of a people that blamed her for their suffering. It was dying in four years. It was everything. But, most of all, it was losing Sinbad. There were no happy endings, not for them.

His arms wrapped around her, pulling her against his chest, and she crumbled. She buried her head in his neck, clinging to him with all her might.

"I'm sorry," Sinbad whispered when he caught his breath. His hand stroked her hair soothingly. "I acted carelessly with you again. You were already in such a fragile state, and I… I should have talked to you first."

"Stop… _Stop_ trying to save me," she whimpered. "Can't you see we only ever hurt each other?"

She could see it clearly now, the pattern they were stuck in. The more he struggled to pull her into his destiny, the harder her own tried to reclaim her. He hadn't saved her from being raped that day they met. He had merely prolonged the inevitable. For every drop of affection he had poured into her, someone else tore a leak. Now, she was more empty than ever. She was broken, and the more he tried to put her back together, the more she cut him. Sinbad hadn't saved her. Not once.

"That's not true." His hand ran down her back, soothing and warm. "Things have been hard lately. There's a lot standing in the way, but I'm taking care of it."

"You can't!" Thalia shook her head. "When I came back to Attica… when I came back _here…_ " She gestured to the entrance to the temple. "I had a vision."

His hand stopped moving, and he went rigid in her arms. "Thalia, you didn't have a vision."

"I did!" She jerked away from him, sitting back on her heels and hanging her head. "I know it sounds crazy. That's why I didn't tell you before."

He let out a quiet laugh. Thalia inhaled sharply as she realized he was mocking her.

"I'm not crazy!"

"No, I'm sorry. I'm not making fun of you. I'm just… so relieved." His hand lifted to cup her cheek. Gently, he guided her eyes back to his. "Because what you saw in there… it wasn't a vision. I wanted to tell you last night, but you ran away before I could. It was a merosh overdose. You were drugged."

Thalia's stomach lurched. That elixir she had been told to drink. It was nothing more than merosh? The ritual was a fraud?

"That's impossible. If it wasn't a vision… then those were all my own thoughts. I would never have come up with those types of things on my own." She drew in a shaky breath and grabbed the collar of his jacket, pointing at the statue inside. "I saw her _kill_ you, Sinbad. She told me that you would destroy Attica. I've never for a moment believed—"

His gentle laughter met her ears. "You had a nightmare. That doesn't mean that you really think those things. But, even if part of you _did_ believe I wasn't the best fit for Attica, wouldn't that be fine? I don't need your unwavering faith. You can doubt me." Leaning forward, he pressed his lips to her forehead. Her heart thudded in her chest, even as he pulled away. "I _need_ you to doubt me. When we push each other to find better answers, that's when we work best."

"Then… everything I've been afraid of… everything I've done to push you away…"

"You didn't need to. You just need to learn to listen." He brought his thumb and forefinger to her forehead and flicked her. "That's your punishment."

Thalia brought her hand up, rubbing the sting away. "I almost killed you. Why aren't you angry? "

He shrugged, standing up. "You didn't mean to, but…" He walked over to the knife and picked it up, tucking it into his belt. "I _would_ like to know where you got something this powerful."

"It was Kayra." Thalia kept her eyes trained on Sinbad as he crossed back over to her, squatting down in front of her. "She was the one who told me about you buying Attica. She gave it to me so that I'd be able to defend against you trying to control my destiny."

Sinbad's lips pressed into a grim line. "Thalia… Kayra is the one who made it possible for Barbarossa to sell me Attica in the first place. She had the deed to the land."

Thalia blinked back a fresh wave of tears. Kayra had said she loved Thalia, that she wanted to set things right, and Thalia had wanted so badly for it to be true.

"She's manipulating us." Thalia said bitterly. "I don't understand. Why would she—?"

Sinbad took Thalia's hand. "I don't know." Judging by his expression, he had his suspicions and was keeping quiet for her sake. His thumb glided over her fingers, stopping when it reached her engagement ring. "With everything that's happened, you don't need this anymore, do you?"

Thalia's stomach churned anxiously as she considered taking off the ring. Now that she had calmed down, she was able to think clearly. Once she cursed her destiny, there was no turning back. There was still a chance that if she stayed with Muu, the tug of war between her and Sinbad's fates would continue. Her people had been removed, not killed. Muu could help her find them. Sinbad's pull was strong, but, as Muu once said, destiny had a way of righting itself.

Maybe… maybe the ancestor she was supposed to bear would be another Sinbad— someone who could right the injustices of the world. Maybe her sacrifice would be worth it. She glanced at the knife tucked safely in his belt, recalling the sense of power and control it had given her. But the control had been an illusion, hadn't it? She had nearly killed the man she loved. Maybe it was better that she didn't have any special powers or abilities.

She opened her mouth to give her answer. "Sinbad, I—"

That's when it started: the screaming. Dozens of distinct voices wailing in agony. And it was coming from the direction of the palace.

No, the palace wasn't there anymore. It was _that place,_ the one Ja'far hadn't been able to infiltrate.

"You hear that, right?"

Sinbad nodded grimly. "I'm going to check it out. You stay here."

It was too late. Thalia was already scrambling in the direction of her old home, taking a shortcut down a steep bank. The wound she had opened earlier released sharp pangs with every sudden movement, but she ignored it to keep going. Her people weren't all gone. There were some still here, and they were suffering.

"Thalia!" Sinbad stumbled down the hill more gracefully behind her, grabbing her by the elbow and pulling her back. "You can't go in there. It could be dangerous!"

"I won't die." Tugging her arm to free herself from his grasp, she kept going. "Not like this."

She hadn't ejected herself from the system, yet. She still had a role to play in some grander scheme, and it needed her alive for four more years. No, she wouldn't die like this. She could feel it.

"Besides, the fact that it's dangerous is exactly why we have to go together." She looked back at him over her shoulder. "You're not the only one who has someone to protect."

"Hm." He let out a small, defeated chuckle and caught up with her, taking her hand. This time, instead of holding her back, they climbed down the slope together. "I hope you realize, if you ever come back to the company, I'm docking a copper coin from your pay for every time you've made me worry about you."

She snorted. "Then, I'll just go work for someone who's not a tyrant. Problem solved."

As they reached the bottom of the hill, his fingers squeezed hers. "I missed you." Then, he let go and placed his hand on the concrete wall blocking their path. Barbwire lined the top, making climbing over impossible.

Thalia started to walk around, looking for the entrance, but Sinbad caught her by the wrist, tugging her to his side.

"We're taking a shortcut."

Thalia began to stupidly ask "how" only to have her question answered when he drew out his sword. "Djinn of Wrath and heroes, dwell within me! Baal!"

Of course. Sinbad could fly; that was how he had gotten on the island. Thalia winced as light enveloped him, his clothing giving way to scales beneath her fingers. When she opened her eyes, she kept them firmly trained on his face, recalling how distracting this djinn equip had been in Zepar's dungeon.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, clinging to him as her feet lifted off the ground. They easily overshot the wall, and Sinbad landed with her on the other side and released his djinn equip as Thalia glanced around, checking for guards.

There was no one, but the building in front of them was as grey and bland as the wall that had tried to keep them out. Small, barred windows dotted the otherwise featureless surface. They walked around the perimeter until they found a heavy-duty metal door hanging ajar.

"I guess there's no point in locking up if there's no one to keep out," he muttered, pulling out a torch from his pocket and lighting it.

Thalia nodded, peering inside to see what she could make out. The building was too dark to see much, but she could make out large cobwebs hanging from the… what _were_ those?

Sinbad led the way into the room, shedding light on some sort of panel of buttons. Lining the walls of the room were tanks of green fluid. Tubes protruded from them like tentacles, snaking across the floor.

"What the hell is this?" Thalia asked, approaching a tank with something inside it. She read the accompanying plaque aloud: "Aldo Village. 6-year-old Male."

Sinbad brought his torch up to the glass and Thalia wiped the dust off it so they could better see.

 _What the…_

"... the hell?"

Thalia stumbled backward into Sinbad, whose free arm wrapped around her protectively.

Inside the tank, floating in the green liquid was a tangled mess of limbs with the face of a small child. Its expression was contorted into a permanent scream. Thalia's stomach lurched. This was a person… maybe. At one point, it may have been, at least.

"What the hell happened here?" Sinbad's voice shook. "This is… human experimentation?"

Parthevia— no, Barbarossa… he was not just a barbarian. He was a monster. Aldo village was one of Parthevia's original holdings. That man was allowing such horrific experiments on his own people.

"How could someone do such a—"

"Hello?" The high priestess's voice came from deeper inside the building. "Princess, is that you? Help me! Oh, gods, please! Someone!"

Thalia spun around in the direction of the sound. Sinbad was already marching into the next room, his long legs carrying him at a brisk pace. Thalia ran to catch up, abruptly halting when he did. Thalia drew in a deep breath as he lifted his torch, illuminating what was unmistakably a gorgon.

"Princess… Princess, oh! Thank the goddess you've come to save me." She fell to her knees, tears welling up in her snake-eyes.

Sinbad made a stunned noise. "What… are you?"

A slight shuffling sound came from behind the gorgon as another creature approached the light. This one was not a gorgon, nor was it a human, nor a djinn, nor a dragon. This was something else entirely. Beady black eyes were scattered across its forehead, and its hair seemed to have fused with the skin on its chest and shoulders.

"Si… bad," it rasped from behind bars. "Sinbad…"

Thalia wedged her way in front of Sinbad protectively, only to have him tug her back behind him. Why did it know his name? Was it able to read minds like Zepar?

"Sinbad of Tison Village. It really is you, isn't it Sinbad?" The creature's lips creaked into a grin. "You've really grown a lot. You look just like your parents when they were your age. Welcome back, Sinbad."

"Sin, do you know this creature?" Thalia hissed.

He shook his head, eyes wide.

"Stay out of my way, crone." The gorgon shoved the giant creature aside. "They're some peasants from a backwater village in the barbarians' land. Princess, the others are beyond helping, but _I—"_

"Let it speak." Sinbad's voice boomed, cowing the high priestess. He turned to the giant creatures, shedding his torchlight on it. "How do you know me?"

"Ah," the creature sighed. "You wouldn't recognize me in this form. I'm stuck in this body, after all. It's me. I was always with you back in Tison village, even during your mother's final moments."

Recognition flickered in Sinbad's eyes.

"You're from Sinbad's village," Thalia said, stepping forward as Sinbad lowered the arm he'd been using to keep her safely behind him. Then you're also…"

"A-auntie." Sinbad trembled, though whether it was with fear or anger, Thalia couldn't tell. "What happened to you?"

The creature lowered its eyes. "It happened a few years after you left. Soldiers came to the village and started rounding up 'unpatriotic citizens' who had rebelled against the state of Parthevia. We were brought here to this facility."

Thalia shuddered as other creatures began to make their way into the range of the torch's illumination.

"This facility was used for the military's human experiments. They turned people into monsters, but we survived, even though we're in this state." Auntie turned her head to Thalia. "Many of those that passed through here were your citizens."

"Prince…" a snake hissed. Several of the creatures bowed their heads, and others quickly followed suit.

The creature gave her a kind smile. "I must say, you were quite the topic of discussion among those lot when they could still talk. They always believed you would come back."

"They are...?"

"Your citizens… or what's left of them. Most of them did not survive the experiments. The rest I'm told were executed." The creature hung its head.

Thalia blinked slowly as she processed Auntie's words. Barbarossa had executed her citizens. Parthevia had taken over Attica because she had run away. It was her fault. All of this was her fault.

"Not _all_ of us _."_ The gorgon shoved her way back into the light "Some were sent away to work the mines on the borders of Parthevia. If you let me out, I can show you where to find them on a map! We can rescue them!"

Maybe the high priestess was right. Maybe it wasn't too late to save some of her citizens… but the rest… so many dead… her fault…

"Sinbad, if we stay here, they will kill us," the creature sobbed, thick tears seeping from its beady eyes. "I don't want to die. Please save us! I heard about how successful you've become! Surely there's something you can do!"

Sinbad opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out was a strangled noise.

"Give us a second." Thalia grabbed him by the arm, dragging him out of the room. "We need a a moment to think."

"Please," Auntie begged one last time. Her pointed gingers wrapped around the bars of her cell. "Help us."

Thalia blinked back tears as she closed the metal door behind them. "I can't believe they've been doing this. The Parthevian government…" Thalia rubbed a tear off her cheek, amazed she had any left to cry. "How can they call themselves humans?"

Sinbad didn't respond. His breaths came fast and shallow, and he glanced at the door separating them from the people who wanted so desperately to be saved.

She could tell Sinbad didn't have answers, but she didn't either. Pacing back and forth, she asked the obvious question. "So, how do we get them out?"

"What do you mean? We can't save them." Sinbad shook his head, running his fingers through his hair. "Even if we set them free… they can't just go walking around like that. We'll never get them out of Parthevia. And if we try to talk to Barbarossa—"

"Don't!" Thalia whirled around to face him. "He, my sister, the people that follow them… they're the ones that did this. They won't just revoke the offer they made you about selling you the island. They'll turn against you. We don't have protection here. They could _kill_ us." Kill Sinbad…

… like her vision.

But that had been a drug-induced nightmare. It wasn't real. It _wasn't._

"We have to leave." Sinbad turned to the exit, holding his hand out for Thalia to follow. "There's nothing we can do. We'll just pretend this never—"

What the hell was he saying? He was just going to leave them like this? Who knew what Parthevia was going to do to them? Probably kill them, and in the most heinous, drawn-out way possible.

"I am not leaving my people to suffer," she hissed. "Give me my knife."

He tilted his head, giving her a puzzled look. "Why would you need—"

It was too late. He stumbled backward as Thalia lunged, grabbing the hilt sticking out of his belt. She pulled back, watching the puzzled look on his face slowly morph into something inscrutable.

There was no way she and Sinbad could smuggle those creatures out. There was no way they would survive if she set them free to fend for themselves, either. She and Sinbad had no other options.

"Thalia…" Sinbad stared at her, understanding dawning on her face. "You can't… this isn't you."

"This is who I _have_ to be." Thalia choked as she forced the words out. "I have to take responsibility for my people. I'll take care of yours, too. I'll return them to great flow. They'll be at peace there."

"What about you?" He took a step forward. "How will you live with yourself?"

Her grip tightened around the hilt of her weapon. "If I hadn't run away, this facility wouldn't be on my island. My people wouldn't be in the bodies of monsters." She shook her head. "I abandoned them once already. I'll rest easier knowing that this time I did _something."_

"Are you sure this is the right thing?" Sinbad wrapped his arms around himself, suppressing a shudder.

She knew the answer he wanted. He wanted her to tell him it was, that they didn't need to look back on tonight and wonder if they were monsters. She couldn't lie to him.

"No."

She reached out to take his torch, intending to leave him behind. He had witnessed violence before, but never anything this unjustified and senseless. Thalia was already damaged. It didn't matter if she replayed this moment in her dreams every night. She was used to that. Sinbad was different, though. He had healed.

"Can I borrow that?"

Shaking his head, he stepped forward. "No. I'm coming with you. You're not going through this alone."

Thalia opened her mouth to argue, but nothing came out. In truth, she didn't want to do this by herself. She had been alone long enough. Closing her jaw, she nodded. His hand wrapped around the door handle and when he pulled it open, the high priestess was already groveling.

"The people at the mines! We can repopulate Attica with them. It's not too late! If we work together and pray for forgiveness, the goddess will—"

The knife would need a lot of power to kill so many people at once. It would need a lot of blood.

Slowly, Thalia approached her and spoke in a low voice. "Your goddess turns those who have lost her favor into gorgons. If you wanted to be saved, you should have prayed to _me."_

The gorgon went pale. "You dare utter such blasphemy!"

"It seems I lost faith when I found out you poisoned me, High Priestess." Thalia took a deep, steadying breath. Her hand plunged through the bars, lodging the knife in the woman's stomach. The blood was hot and slick, and Thalia's stomach lurched as her empty stomach tried to purge itself. Then, that numb, calming sensation overtook her, and she twisted it, ignoring her victim's screams. More power. That was what she needed to do this. Once the high priestess's cries died down, Thalia turned to the others, who shrank away, pressing themselves against the wall.

"My friends, your faith in us has been misplaced. I'm afraid we currently do not have the power to help you." She yanked the knife out of her sacrifice and continued. "But, we will not leave you to an uncertain fate. I offer you a quick end. I fear the Parthevian Empire will not be so merciful."

Auntie spoke, falling to her knees. "I don't want to die. Please, there must be something you can do! Sinbad!"

Thalia responded for him. "Sinbad has no power here."

He lowered his head. "She's right. I'm sorry I couldn't save you, Auntie."

Thalia continued. "What power I once had was stripped from me when I was a child." She turned to the former citizens and soldiers of Attica. "I'm sorry I could not protect you."

Raising the knife, Thalia closed her eyes and sent the power pulsing through her back into the knife. "You have fought bravely. Go now, return to the rukh."

The screams were gutwrenching, and the more that leaked out of her, the more she felt the weight of them. Soon, another scream joined the chorus, and when all the others stopped, when the power had drained back out of her, when she had fallen to her knees and dropped the knife, that one scream persisted.

It was hers.


	55. Vita Brevis

"You want to buy that island?" Barbarossa swiveled around his chair, setting the scroll he'd been reading down on his desk.

"Yes." Sinbad forced a smile, politely resting his hand on his chest. "Please allow me to purchase it."

Leaning forward, Barbarossa raised his eyebrows. "Really. You wouldn't prefer to return and discuss it with the company first?"

It took everything Sinbad had to keep his smile in place. He wanted to obtain the island as soon as possible before Barbarossa realized the sin he and Thalia had comitted last night.

"There's no need. We would only come to the same decision."

Ja'far stepped forward, holding up a piece of parchment on which he'd scribbled the notes from his research on Attica's economic potential. "I've already run the calculations, and even figuring in the amount we would owe, the amount of business we would gain from this move still nets us an enormous profit. This is a huge opportunity for us."

"I see." Barbarossa turned his gaze back to Sinbad, studying him carefully. "If that's the case, I accept, but Sinbad, what happened to you? You look terrible."

Sinbad lifted his head. What happened to him, that was…

* * *

 _Sinbad had stood across from Thalia, desperately wracking his head for a solution. He'd been paralyzed, unable to come up with a way to save the people from his village. Run. That was all he'd been able to think to do. He had to run._

" _No." Thalia had refused. His heart had lept. She would fix this. She would come up with a third solution, a way for everyone to be happy like she had on Ria Venus Island. That's what he thought, and in that moment, he had wanted to sweep her up and kiss her._

 _Except, that wasn't what happened. She had stolen the knife she had used against him earlier. It took him a second to fully comprehend what she had intended to do with it. She was going to kill the people of Tison Village and her own people. It was taking responsibility, she had said; It was better than running._

 _He agreed. It was better than running, but… he just had to accept this situation? Was that possible?_

 _They had re-entered that room together as a united front. For once, he was the one who was falling apart. His breaths came quick and shallow, and sweat dripped down his back. He looked at these monsters— no, they were people— and tried to picture their human faces. That only made it worse. A black serpent began to coil in his stomach— guilt. It was guilt._

 _Without a word, Thalia walked toward the woman with snakes for hair and whispered in her ear. She was giving last words of encouragement, Sinbad thought. His sweet, thoughtful Thalia was comforting her._

" _You dare utter such blasphemy!" The woman pulled back, her hair baring dozens of sets of fangs._

" _It seems I lost faith when I found out you poisoned me, High Priestess."_

 _With not more than a moment's hesitation, Thalia murdered the woman in cold blood. It was her first time killing someone. Sinbad had expected tears, remorse, anything. But her expression remained completely unaffected. It was the face of the woman he loved, but he didn't recognize her. His Thalia valued life unconditionally. She absolutely refused to compromise back on Ria Venus Island. When had she changed so drastically?_

 _When she turned and gave a speech to comfort the terrified onlookers, she showed no indication that she understood the effect the scene they had just witnessed might have on them. Her tone was distant, removed. She sounded like a general giving his soldiers the order to make one final sacrifice, not like… well, Thalia._

" _I don't want to die. Please, there must be something you can do! Sinbad!"_

" _Sinbad has no power here."_

 _He lowered his head. It was true. He couldn't do anything, not this time. No matter how he thought about it, the most merciful option was to let Thalia put them out of their misery. Permanently._

" _She's right. I'm sorry I couldn't save you, Auntie."_

* * *

"The truth is, last night I received a report that you had been spotted in mid-air above the island," Barbarossa said.

"Is that true?" Ja'far asked, eyes wide.

"It's fine. I just was worried." Barbarossa's eyes narrowed. "After all, that place hasn't been cleaned up, yet."

 _Cleaned up._ That's what Barbarossa was calling it. Like the people who had died were just clutter to be disposed of. Like none of it— none of what happened last night— mattered. Sinbad smiled through gritted teeth.

"Ah, yes. That. One of my subordinates went missing yesterday after the party. I went looking for her and found her on that island."

Barbarossa raised his eyebrows. "Did the two of you… see anything?"

* * *

 _The screaming started up, and the creatures writhed, their eyes bulging as Thalia's blade worked its horrible magic They fought and gnashed against the shackles that bound them, but it was futile. The screams grew louder and louder until, one at a time, they died out. The creatures stopped fighting, their bodies now shriveled, blackened husks._

 _Sinbad dropped to his knees. These were the people who'd raised him. It was thanks to them that his mother had survived as long as she did. It was thanks to them that at least part of his childhood had been happy. Was there really nothing they could have done? He just had to accept this? What happened to carving a third path? What happened to refusing to compromise? Together, he and Thalia were supposed to be unstoppable._

 _He glanced at the woman he loved, stained in blood and sobbing uncontrollably. Why…? Why had the night ended this way? Things had been getting better. He and Thalia had found a way to be together._

* * *

Sinbad shrugged. "She was quite upset when I found her. It seems she has close connections to that island. As far as anything unusual, I couldn't say anything seemed out of place, and as far as I know, she didn't see anything either."

"This subordinate of yours, it was Thalia?" Barbarossa leaned back, as if his concerns had been put at ease. "I recommend you keep better company. Someone broke into a weapons facility on the island last night and tampered with our property. Were you aware of this?"

* * *

 _Thalia shifted toward to him eyes red-rimmed and swollen._

" _Sinbad…" Her voice came out strangled. "...take this country. Use it to gather your power and make sure nothing like this ever happens again. If you can do that, you have my blessing."_

 _Pulling her into his arms, he clung to her, burying his face in her hair. Thalia had held the knife, but this was a sin they had committed together. Thalia had done her part to fix her mistakes from her childhood. It was his turn. He had to do this. He had to make his dream come true._

" _I will. I promise."_

 _She drew back and pressed two items into his palm, closing her fingers around them. One of them was the hilt of her knife. The other was hidden beneath it. It was hard and circular, like a ring. Was she returning the ring he had given her? Or was it her engagement ring? The thought was a reflex, but he hated himself for having it. Right now, wondering which it was seemed petty._

" _I won't be needing these anymore." she whispered. She brought her face to his, ghosting her lips over his cheek. Then, she stood, craning her neck toward the exit. She looked exhausted like she might collapse at any moment. "I won't be going back with you. They'll find out someone's been here soon enough. If they suspect anything, pin the blame on me. They'll believe it."_

* * *

Sinbad swallowed thickly. "I'll have to talk to her about this. My apologies."

Snatching Sinbad's wrist, Barbarossa lowered his voice threateningly. "I told you, inferiors can be dangerous. For Lady Kayra's sake, I've been willing to continue to overlook your little friend's existence so long as she isn't a threat. If something like this happens again…"

"It won't," Sinbad quickly reassured him. "I promise you, she'll be dealt with accordingly."

Barbarossa leaned back, lacing his fingers under his chin thoughtfully. "Good. I would hate to have to cancel our deal."

Sinbad couldn't let that happen. He'd already sold his soul for this. No… it was Thalia. He'd let her sell hers. His hand reached into his jacket pocket, where he kept her knot and the ring she had given him last night. The sharp edges of the diamond-encrusted gold met the pads of his fingers.

He'd done it. He'd convinced her to curse her destiny.

* * *

Thalia stood before Dinzarade, her head hanging low. Her friend's eyes flickered wide, her face contorting into an expression of horror.

"Thalia… what have you done? Your rukh…"

"I made a choice." Thalia walked past her with her head hung low, putting her meager belongings on the empty bed. She had returned most of what Muu had given her, and what she couldn't return, she'd replaced with Narmes's jewelry and Nerva's condolence money. Now, she had nothing but what she'd earned for herself. "I know how badly you wanted to save me, but in the end, I couldn't accept the kind of responsibility I was meant to take on. It was too much."

Dinarzade shuffled over to the bed and sat down beside her. "Okay then," she said simply.

Thalia looked up. "Okay?" After Dinarzade had fought so hard to convince Thalia to embrace her destiny, she had expected to be scolded at the very least. "That's it?"

Dinarzade gave Thalia a sideways glance. "Would you feel better if I lectured you?"

Thalia shook her head. "I don't think you could tell me anything I haven't already told myself a thousand times."

"I guarantee you're already being harder on yourself than I would ever be." Dinarzade took her hand and pulled it into her lap. "It's no good hating yourself, Thalia. Life is too short for that."

Clutching her skirt, Thalia closed her eyes fighting back the bitterness within her. People were dead. She had killed the people she'd been meant to protect, all because she was too weak. Useless. Useless, useless, useless! Why was someone like her even born? How could she ever live with herself after what she'd done?

"I- I just feel like things will never get better. Like when I was born with this void inside of me. My mother sensed it; my sister sensed it; everyone sensed it. They knew I would become like this, and that's why they never- no one could ever—" She shook her head, her chest wracking with quiet sobs. "How can I go on living after what I've done? I can't, can I? I don't deserve my life… I don't deserve you."

Dinarzade was quiet for a long moment. She ran her free hand up and down Thalia's back in soothing circles. When she finally spoke, her voice was hoarse. "I don't think anyone deserves to live."

Thalia jerked upright, unnerved by her gentle friend's callous words. Wasn't that a bit dark for Dinarzade?

She continued. "No one earns the right to live. We're just born, whether we wanted to be or not. But then we learn to smile, and we learn to laugh. That's our reason for living. You don't deserve life because you don't have to. You're entitled to it."

"What if I'm never happy again? What if—"

"Did you ever think you would smile again after what Marcus did?"

Thalia blinked. Back then, things had seemed so hopeless, but she had recovered. People like Dinarzade and Sinbad and Ja'far and Mystras and Rurumu had pulled her out of it. She had learned to smile again.

Dinarzade squeezed Thalia's hand. "You made a decision you regret. If we can't undo it, let's make the best of what comes next, okay?"

Drawing in a deep breath, Thalia rubbed her wet cheeks. She hadn't had a choice. It had been a necessary sacrifice. All she could do now was to work to make Sinbad's dream come true. And, in the meantime, she could focus on herself. She could learn to smile again.

"Yeah. I'll make the best of this." Resting her head on Dinarzade's shoulder, she closed her eyes. "I was saving up my money for Attica, but I don't need it anymore. I'm sick of these white dresses. Want to go shopping tomorrow?"

Dinarzade gave a stuffy giggle. "I'm always up for spending time with you."

* * *

 _2 months later_

"So you sprinkle the nuts on like so… Thalia! Not so many! Amaltheia, _please_ stop eating the ingredients. Dinarzade, don't put it in the oven yet! It's not ready!"

A round of giggles burst out in the kitchens of the Sindria Trading Company as Sappho directed three hopeless students in the art of baking. It was all part of Amaltheia's "Operation Smile." Despite Thalia's ill-treatment of Sappho and Amaltheia when she was convinced she'd had a vision from the goddess, as soon as she had delivered a heartfelt apology, they had jumped on the chance to accept it. Amaltheia, in particular, had been one of Thalia's fiercest allies ever since. She had put together a plan to get Thalia out of her bed and back to her old self. "Operation Smile" consisted of two parts. The first was that Thalia now took an herbal mixture to help balance out what Amaltheia called Thalia's "phlegmatic humor." When Thalia had asked what it meant, Amaltheia explained that some people were prone to bouts of excessive melancholy and that the herbs would give her more energy to do the things she needed to pull herself back out of those slumps.

The second part was that every day, Thalia did a small something that brought her joy. It could be walking through a garden, practicing her swordsmanship, reading, anything. The catch? Thalia had to spend time with someone else while doing it. It didn't matter how cranky or miserable she felt. For an hour each day, she absolutely could not be alone. It had seemed a little ridiculous at first, but, though Thalia loathed to admit it, the plan was working.

Today's task was baking her favorite treat, baklava. Sappho was, thankfully, a patient teacher. She had to be with this crowd.

"This is so _tedious_ ," Amaltheia complained as she brushed a layer of honey onto the phyllo dough. "Why can't we just dump the honey on top?"

"I distinctly recall Sappho's Baklava being the best in Attica." Thalia eagerly placed another layer of dough on hers. "We should all follow her instructions exactly."

"I'm flattered, Pr-" Sappho caught herself using Thalia's former title. "Thalia."

Thalia dismissed the slip up with a wave of her hand before looking down at her unfinished pastry. These had to be perfect because she was going to bring them to Sinbad. He hadn't been dealing with what happened that night very well— or at all, really. They hadn't talked about anything from that night— not the fact that he had offered to marry her, not the fact that she had murdered the people who raised him, not even about what he planned to do about Kayra and Barbaross's attempts to manipulate them. He had thrown himself into his work until he exhausted himself, buddying up to Barbarossa with that dead-eyed smile she knew so well. He was clearly exhausted on every level, but when she brought him this wonderful, heartfelt present, he wouldn't be able to help but be touched by her kindness and—

"Ooh! I know that grin!" Dinarzade poked Thalia in the cheek. "You're thinking about Sinbad!"

"Am not." Thalia chucked a handful of walnuts in Dinarzade's direction. As an employee of the Sindria Trading Company, she would never admit to finding her boss attractive, even if at this point, denying it was absurd. If he ever discussed the marriage with her again, she would step down from her position… maybe. Being married to a king would make her a queen, and she wasn't ready to take on that kind of responsibility. For now, she just wanted to live for herself.

"Those are expensive!" Amaltheia picked up a hand full of powdered sugar. "Throw this instead!"

A cloud of white dust hit Dinarzade, exploding into a puff.

Throwing her arms up, Dinarzade shot Amaltheia a dirty look. "Rude!"

Sappho let out a frustrated groan. "How about no one throws anything."

"I'm sorry, but she deserved it." Thalia helped brush Dinarzade off, giggling.

"Right?" Amaltheia crossed her arms defensively. "No one teases Thalia about her absurdly apparent crush on that guy except me. I've decided to adopt her as my little sister since she's so cute."

"Pfft." Thalia gave Sappho a sideways glance Amaltheia came up to pinch her cheeks. "Please control your girlfriend."

Sappho's lips twitched. "I'm afraid she's just happy she finally found someone whose cheeks she can reach."

"I'm not _that_ short!"

The girls broke into another round of laughter— one of the most beautiful sounds in the world, as far as Thalia was concerned. When the treats were finished, Thalia arranged the best-looking ones on a plate, garnishing them with crushed pistachios. While the others cleaned up the mess, she attempted to sneak away to give Sinbad his gift.

"Ohoho!" Amaltheia called out when she caught Thalia escaping with the pilfered goods. "Your time's not up yet, missy! You still have ten minutes, and that broom could use a dance partner."

"I think it'll be fine to let her go early." Dinarzade gave Thalia a knowing wink. "Just for today."

Amaltheia narrowed her eyes before shooing Thalia along. "Fine, but you owe us an extra thirty tomorrow."

"That… doesn't sound bad." Thalia gave them one last smile before slipping out and walking down the hall. Sinbad's office was on the second story of the building— the last door on the left. She hummed softly to herself, pausing outside shift the tray of food onto one arm so that she could grip the handle with the other.

"What happened to marrying me?" Serendine's bled through the door, strained and broken. "I'll make you into a famous revolutionary… the blood flowing through my veins can help you achieve all your goals. What happened to that agreement?"

Thalia froze. She hadn't realized Serendine still thought that he'd ever intended to accept that offer. He hadn't said yes, not verbally, but he had lost the challenge. Perhaps to Serendine, that had been as good as a verbal agreement. Thalia's heart squeezed tightly in her chest. Part of her was afraid to hear Sinbad's response, afraid that what he had seen her do had driven him into the arms of another woman. If marriage to Serendine was still on the table, he could still…

Thalia shoved the thought aside forcefully. She was jumping to conclusions without evidence again. That always got her into trouble before, but she was different now, better. She wouldn't worry about something so unlikely until there was evidence it was happening. Besides, he had Attica now. He didn't need to be part of Serendine's revolution.

"You don't come from a royal bloodline! Without that, you can't create a lasting country. That's why I was going to let you use me to…"

When Sinbad interrupted her, his voice was dangerously low. "Would you just be quiet for a moment?" There was a slap like a hand hitting the desk. "That's all just your opinion, isn't it? It's true that I don't have the right 'blood,' but Barbarossa and his party have taught me it's possible to lead a country even if you're not royalty. In fact, it's because they're not royalty that I realized you can create a government that's by and for the people. I don't need royal blood to create a country. I'm making my dream a reality now, so please don't get in the way."

Thalia pushed the door open and cleared her throat, clearing her throat to draw attention to her presence. She wasn't sure if she was interrupting them for Sinbad's or Serendine's sake, but it didn't feel right to let them quarrel.

"I… uh… just wanted to deliver this."

"Now is a really bad time, Thalia," Sinbad warned her, barely glancing in her direction.

"Oh, good. You're here," Serendine greeted her eagerly. "I'm sure you have something to say about this deal, don't you? After all, it's your country being auctioned off."

"That's…" She looked to Serendine, then to Sinbad, then back to Serendine. "I already gave him my blessing."

"You're joking, right?" Serendine looked her over, searching for any indication that this was a prank. When she failed to find anything, her lips pursed. "No, I guess you're not. You've never had any sense of self-preservation. Still, even someone like you has to know this little experiment is doomed to fail. Without royal blood, no one will be willing to follow him."

Thalia noted the deep circles under Serendine's eyes and decided it was better not to engage her. She was clearly exhausted physically and mentally. Thalia had learned that those were the times when she herself was the most unreasonable. Serendine was probably the same.

"When was the last time you got any sleep, Seren? Maybe we can talk about this when you're better rested."

"How can I sleep knowing that man is scheming something and my friends refuse to acknowledge it?" Serendine ran her fingers through her hair anxiously. "How can you sit by and watch this happen, Thalia? You hate him as much as I do!"

She crossed over to Sinbad's desk and set the tray down, taking in a deep breath before turning to face Serendine.

"It's true. Barbarossa is someone to be wary of, and his policies are barbaric, but this is Sin's chance to build up his own power. We can't stop Barbarossa as a trading company. With a few years of intelligent political maneuvers, though, Sinbad will be able to pressure Barbarossa's party to adopt more moderate policies, and the success brought about by Sindria's diverse population will challenge the rhetoric of Parthevian supremacists. This is our chance for a peaceful revolution. I can give up on my revenge if something good comes of this alliance with him."

Serendine laughed bitterly. "You think someone like Barbarossa would allow something like that? He's planning something, and you're both going to get killed. The only course of action is to take back Parthevia."

"If it's so important to you, do it yourself," Sinbad snapped. "My only purpose is to correct the injustices in the world. Taking back Parthevia is something I'm not interested in."

"Fine," Serendine said quietly. "Just remember when he betrays you who it was that really had your best interest in mind. Both of you."

Serendine marched out of Sinbad's office, slamming the door behind her. Thalia stood anxiously wringing her hands, unsure if she should stay here with Sinbad, go comfort Serendine, or leave them both alone.

"There's no point in going after her," Sinbad sighed, as though he could read Thalia's thoughts. He rested his head in his hands, drooping over his desk. "She'll do what she pleases, as always. We're all… a bit on edge, aren't we?"

Thalia didn't know how to respond, so she picked up a slice of baklava and held it out to him. "To… um… thank you for all of your hard work lately. I remembered you'd said you'd never had it, so I got Sappho and some others to help me."

He raised his head, arching his eyebrows as he looked up at her. "That's surprisingly domestic of you."

"They did most of the work," Thalia confessed guiltily.

He gave a fragile chuckle and reached up to stroke her cheek. "You've got some flour on your cheek."

"Oh." Averting her eyes, she gave a small smile. Silently, she thanked Amaltheia for pinching her cheeks with sugar-dusted hands. Moments like this had been fleeting after… her smile faded, and he quickly pulled away. There was that pang of melancholy again, small but painful nonetheless.

Sinbad leaned forward took a small bite of the pastry in her hand.

"I certainly see why you like it. It's very sweet."

Thalia nodded, sticking a sticky finger in her mouth and cleaning it off with her tongue.

He sighed. "I must be in a bad mood if I don't feel like teasing you for doing something like that in front of me."

"Doing something like what?" she asked with a wry smile. Despite her attempt to play it cool, her shoulders hunched as she cleaned off the other two. Gods, he'd just had to make it awkward, hadn't he?

He closed his eyes and gave her a lopsided smile. "Save your teasing for later. First, I think we should both take a nap. I haven't been sleeping well."

"That sounds like a good idea. Then, I'll leave you to it."

He would want to retire to his room by himself. Thalia started to back away, but he caught her by the wrist.

"Don't leave. I think I'll sleep better with you here."

Thalia gazed down at him, at his tired, haunted eyes. The melancholy told her that she'd done this to him, that he was like this because he'd gotten involved with her. She should push him away. It was safer that way…

No, this wasn't about her. She should be worried about him.

"Are you… really okay?"

When he didn't respond for a while, Thalia's stomach began to churn. If he was like her, if he had the same melancholy—

"I will be. I just need more time."

Thalia let out a relieved sigh.

"What about you?" He pulled her into his lap, pressing his lips to his forehead and sending her heart fluttering. "I know I haven't asked. I guess I've been afraid of your answer."

Thalia considered lying. She _was_ doing better now. He didn't have to know about the dark depths she'd been to before Sappho had gotten Amaltheia to intervene. If she lied now, he would never find out. It would be fine, wouldn't it?

But what was the point of lying? Was she afraid he would think she was weak? Sinbad was her friend. She could be vulnerable with him, and he wouldn't judge her.

"After everything that happened…" She looked away, ashamed of what she was about to admit. "I felt so guilty, and I…" She took a deep breath, staving off tears. "I wanted to die. I had a plan and everything, but Amaltheia and the others—"

"You _what?_ " He tugged her protectively against his chest. "You never said anything… I didn't know."

She took a shaky breath. "So many people died because of me, Sin. I keep thinking there must have been _something_ I could have done, but I still can't come up with anything…"

"You think you're the only one at fault?" he asked quietly. "Thalia, we both saw people we abandoned in that place. Do you think it's not eating at me too? Are you going to leave me with your death on my hands as well?"

"You're not like me, Sin. When you were born, you had limitless choices laid out before you. You could have been a fisherman or a warrior or an author. Your only obligation at the time was to yourself because you were just a common boy. The only reason I was born was to protect those people, and I failed." A tear slid down her cheek as she recalled the dark place she had slowly been leaving behind. "I kept thinking… For a useless princess like me to go on living… isn't that selfish? Aren't I being too greedy?"

For days, she had shut herself away, refusing to eat or sleep. Dinarzade had struggled to get Thalia to leave their dorm room, but Thalia had refused. Then, one by one, her other friends had streamed in, each attempting to coax her out. Their attempts had been met increasingly desperate attempts to push them away. Amaltheia had said the melancholy was a sickness that fed on isolation, that Thalia had to fight against the urge to submit to it.

"What's so wrong about being selfish?" Sinbad pulled back, shaking her roughly. "I'm selfish too. You know, I was ready to sacrifice every single one of the other kids if it meant escaping Lady Maader, but you… you found another way. I was ready to abandon those people like a coward, but you were the one who was willing to take responsibility. The only reason I still recognize myself when I look in the mirror is because of you. You were there during my darkest moments, and you helped me pull through every time. I need you, Thalia because I'm afraid of the man I'll become without you— someone willing to sacrifice everything for my goal. You keep me grounded. When all I can see is the clear path that destiny has laid out for me, you take my hand and show me another way."

Did he really feel that way? She had always known she needed him, but never imagined he felt the same way about her. Trembling, she raised her arms, wrapping them around him and burying her face in his chest.

"I'm getting better, Sin. I'm working hard to get better."

He rested his cheek on the top of her head. "Good. From now on, I want you to live. No matter how hard it gets, you have to be strong. Everyone else feels the same as well. You're our precious friend, so, please, become as selfish and greedy as you need to."

Thalia nodded. From now on, she would focus on herself, on being happy. Other people's expectations didn't matter. She needed her own approval. She wanted her friends'. Other than them, no one else mattered.

"I promise."


	56. Singularity

_8 months before the founding of Sindria_

Work. There was so much to do, and so little time. Sinbad would much have preferred to spend this time with Thalia, his… what _was_ she? His fiance? His girlfriend? His friend? They had never really discussed it, not after that night. It was as though the idea of even putting a label on whatever they had together had been tainted.

"Knock knock." Thalia leaned against the door, her face flushed a little brighter than usual. She wore one of her new dresses with fashionable, blue and gold fabric wrapped tightly around her. It wasn't extravagant, but it was nice, and the way it hugged her form offered him a nice view of how her hips swayed as she walked.

"Thalia." He cleared his throat, trying to sound professional. "What brings you here?"

"Oh, I just… I've been thinking about you this morning. A lot." She tucked her hair behind her ear shyly as she spoke.

Flashing a mischievous grin, he leaned forward to tease her. "Have you now? All good thoughts, I assume?"

She nodded, her cheeks reddening. "Very good thoughts."

Oh? Why was she so nervous today? Could it be those "good" thoughts were dirty? He raised his eyebrows. "In that case, I'd like to hear them in vivid detail."

The deepening color on her mortified face told him he'd caught her red-handed.

She gave him a small, tight-lipped smile. "Not yet."

The implication that there might be a future where she _would_ be willing to talk about those things seemed like a big step coming from her. Sometimes it felt like the physical aspect of their relationship moved at a glacial pace. He wanted more, though he rarely admitted it for fear of pressuring her. "Not yet" he could deal with.

Taking her hand in his, he admired the callouses she had slowly started to build up from her swordsmanship training. He caught glimpses of her practicing in the courtyard some days while he scrambled from one end of the building of the other on business.

"I'm glad you took up classes with Sharrkan again," he remarked. "I can tell you're really improving."

She tossed her hair over her shoulder, shooting him a mischievous grin. "I know. At this rate, I'll be able to defeat you in no time."

"Oh?" He chuckled, letting go of her hand and leaning back in his chair. He wasn't sure that she was improving quite _that_ fast, but he did enjoy her confidence. "I look forward to that day."

"Me too," she replied with a wink. "You're much too cocky. Someone needs to cut you down to size."

"And you think that person will be you?"

She hummed in response.

He pulled his lips together, fighting back a smile. He _could_ let this go. He could let her go on believing she had any chance against him, but no. He knew her weakness, and he wasn't above using it.

Tugging her into his lap, he buried his face in her neck and let out a warm breath on her ear.

"S- Sin!" she squeaked. Her hips bucked toward him, a pleasant side effect of her straightening her back.

"You've got a long way to go. All I have to do is pull you into my lap and you're as good as defeated."

"I am not," she protested weakly. "I can still fight."

"You don't sound very convincing." She was putty in his arms, pliant and defenseless. In a battle, there would be no contest, not when he could tease her into submission. He ran his hands up her arms, drawing a small, sweet moan from her lips. "Look at you, so quick to surrender."

It was then that she found the strength to twist around in his lap. If Sinbad had to guess, it was pure spite had given her the sudden burst of energy, but he wasn't complaining. Her arms wrapped around his neck, one hand grabbing his ponytail and tugging. The sight of her so eager and demanding spiked his blood.

"You," she panted, "are going to drive me crazy."

"Good. You've been driving me crazy for years."

His eyes locked on her lips, and he remembered their last kiss. That one, perfect kiss before everything had fallen apart. They could start over now if he wanted. She was willing. She'd thrown away her soul to be with him, cut herself off from the great flow. The least he could do was take responsibility for what he'd said that night, right? He had offered to marry her. He couldn't keep avoiding the topic forever just because it'd been tainted with blood-stained memories.

"Sinbad?"

Thalia's hand adjusting his collar pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Is something wrong?"

He brought his hand up to push a lock of hair out of her face. "I've been putting off talking to you about this for a while. I know I should have a ring prepared and some kind of grand speech, maybe even a parade—"

Thalia went pale. She dropped her eyes to her lap, sliding her hands down the lapels of his coat. "Oh."

This wasn't the reaction he'd been expecting. She'd been so set on marrying him before. Had she changed her mind? Didn't she want to be the queen of Attica?

"Come on, Thalia." He gave a nervous laugh. "Are you that upset about the lack of parade? I actually thought you'd prefer it this way, and you can pick out the ring—"

"I don't want to get married." She took a deep breath, looking past him out the window. "I mean, I thought I did, but now that I'm not worried about being a suitable princess all the time, I'm starting to realize how much of what I wanted wasn't really what _I_ wanted. And now, I'm in this place without any goals or plans of my own." She turned her gaze back toward him. "I want to support you, but I need dreams and passions that are just mine. I think I need to figure out what I want first. When I'm a little older and more mature, maybe I'll be ready but…"

"I understand." He let out a deep breath. In truth, he hadn't exactly been thrilled about committing to someone so quickly either. But, he would rather spend a reluctant lifetime as Thalia's husband than resign himself to treating her like a stranger, and once Barbarossa had offered him Attica, it had seemed the perfect way for them to both get what they wanted most.

She shifted in his lap, placing a hand flat on his chest. "Until then, does _this_ have to stop? Because it's one of the few things I'm sure about."

"This…" His hand slid up her back. "...can go on for as long as we want."

The door opened just as he leaned forward to kiss her. Thalia ducked under his desk the moment she heard the doorknob turn and motioned for him to keep quiet. Sighing, Sinbad gave her an understanding smile. Rurumu had mentioned the ethics of workplace dating once, and now Thalia was convinced their relationship was some sort of illicit affair. Still, he enjoyed humoring her, and he suspected the danger of being discovered excited her. So, he played along.

"Yo." He raised a casual hand as Ja'far slipped through the door. "What brings you here?"

Ja'far marched over and laid some scrolls on his desk. "These are the forms that have been submitted for review. Please look over them by the end of the day."

Sinbad unrolled one of them and glanced at it. "A petition to allow same-sex marriage?"

"It's not commonly practiced in most countries, but I don't see a reason to reject this."

"The petitioner's name is Sappho. She's Thalia's friend, right?"

Thalia tugged impatiently on his pant leg from beneath the desk as if to say "Just sign it already."

He nudged her with his knee in response. " _Calm down."_

Grabbing his quill from its holder, Sinbad signed the paper. "There. It's official. Make sure to give Sappho the news, and tell her I'll foot the bill for the wedding. Any friend of Thalia's is a friend of mine."

Thalia stuck her thumb up in approval.

"Now, as for the palace, the engineer was looking at—"

"Sorry to interrupt." An out of breath Vittel twiddled his thumbs anxiously at the door. "We have a visitor."

 _Shit._ Sinbad was already behind on his work thanks to the lovely distraction under his desk, not to mention she couldn't hide there all day. She glanced up at him anxiously. Right. He needed to chase everyone out so she could slip out and he could get back to work.

"Another one? Can't you handle it?"

"It's not just an ordinary guest!" Vittel held his hands up apologetically. "It's that royal magician from Parthevia. It's Falan."

 _Thump._ Thalia had knocked her head on the desk. Having blown her cover, she crawled out and rose to her feet. Her face, which had been so carefree lately, clouded over. The color had drained from her face as though she'd seen a ghost. Did she recognize that name too? When would they have run into each other?

Her voice trembled when she spoke. "You said it's a magician named Falan?"

Ja'far looked more exhausted than surprised to see her. "Normally, I would have questions, but now isn't the time for them. If it's Falan, we should be wary."

It was strange. Last time he had seen Falan, she had been serving under Barbarossa in the palace. Why would she come all this way now?

Thalia's palm landed on his shoulder, squeezing tightly. "Sin, I don't trust her. She's working with my sister."

"Don't worry. I don't either." Sinbad covered her hand with his own. This peace of mind she had found was still fragile. She had already been through so much. He would simply have to protect her the best he could. "I'll take care of this, okay?"

He grinned up at her reassuringly. Her lips didn't move to return his effort. Instead, her hand slid off his shoulder.

"I will."

Sinbad turned to Vittel, who was quietly observing the conversation. He had wrapped his arms around himself protectively. Last time they had run into that woman, she had poisoned Ja'far, Vittel, and Mahad with some kind of magic tool that had turned them into a monster.

Sinbad walked up to the boy, placing a reassuring hand on his back. "Vittel, you go back to work. We can't afford to fall any further behind. Have Thalia assist you for a couple of hours, okay?"

Slowly, Vittel nodded. "I understand."

* * *

Thalia hovered over Vittel's shoulder, looking for opportunities to make herself busy. There wasn't much for her to do here. Vittel's accounting abilities had long surpassed hers, so anything she could do to help, he was better off doing himself. Her eyes traveled the room, seeking signs of any undone chore, no matter how minor. His water pitcher was full, and he had paper to spare. There was plenty of ink in his pot, but as he dipped his quill, Thalia noticed something.

"Vittel, your hands are shaking." Frowning, she inched closer to his desk.

"Haha… yeah." He scratched his neck anxiously. "I'm a bit on edge."

Falan had certainly managed to frighten Thalia, but Vittel was an assassin before he'd met Thalia. What had that woman done to shake a trained killer this much? Was she that terrifying? Thalia squeezed her fists, willing her racing heart to slow. Sinbad was taking care of Falan and had tasked Thalia with the important job of keeping Vittel and herself safe and calm. There was one thing she could think to do.

"You know, we just got in this new Heliohaptian herbal tea. It does wonders for anxiety." Thalia had drunk it like water while she'd waited for Sinbad and Sappho to return from Parthevia. "Why don't I go fix you us both cup?"

Vittel gave her a weak smile. "Thanks, Thalia. That would be great."

Slipping out of the room, Thalia headed down the hallway, passing a line of closed doors. They all looked the same, carved wood with symmetrical, geometric decorations. But, as she walked past one, as innocuous as the rest, she heard it: that lilting voice.

"Sinbad, what do you think destiny is?"

It was Falan.

Thalia pressed herself against the wall, her heart pounding in her chest. Evesdropping on this woman had never done her any good before, but when she tried to lift her feet, it was as though they were glued to the floor. She couldn't leave; not like this. Before she could go, she had to hear for herself what business Falan had with Sinbad. Why would she ask him such a strange question? Could it be, he had a destiny similar to hers?

The realization that Sinbad's favorable relationship with destiny might not last forever brought a gasp from her lips. She covered her mouth with her sweaty palm to mask the noise.

"Hold on, you still haven't answered our question!" Ja'far was suspicious, as he should have been. Thalia silently praised him for his caution.

"Let it go Ja'far. She came all the way here and showed us her true face just to speak to us." Sinbad, ever the idealist, was about to give this woman a second chance. Thalia bit her tongue, resisting the impulse to shout a curse. She loved this side of him, but not right now. "I'll answer her question. I think of destiny as a guide to the future. Every person has a goal to accomplish in life, and we're all looking for the right path to lead us there. We're being guided by our destiny, which influences our actions and leads us all forward. It's a natural cycle that creates the future. That's how I see destiny: a guide to the future that we should believe in."

Thalia's hand dropped limply to her side, his words sinking in. Her goal that she'd been supposed to accomplish had been to become nothing more than an incubator for a child. Was that the future she was supposed to believe in? How could he say something so confidently when he knew— he'd _seen_ how her destiny had tried to tear her apart. If destiny was something that everyone should be striving for, why was he with her? She wasn't his destiny. She was a black stain on his life. She had fallen into depravity. That's what Ja'far had called it. "Depravity"… her very existence was a moral corruption in this world of bright, white rukh.

"I see." Falan's voice was quiet. "Even someone as special as you still believes he has to follow destiny. Someone like you should know the truth… the true meaning of the destiny that controls this world and just what kind of existence you humans actually lead. Please ask the others to leave the room."

Thalia's breath caught. If the others left, they would find her here eavesdropping, but she couldn't leave now. There was an explanation for why Falan kept meddling in her destiny, and as much as she trusted Sinbad, this was exactly the kind of thing he would try to protect her from by keeping her in the dark. She dove into an adjacent room just as the door opened. As Ja'far and Hinahoho's voices drifted down the hall, she pressed her ear against the wall, waiting for Sinbad and Falan's discussion to resume.

"It seems like you have something important to discuss with me. Am I right, Falan?" In her mind's eye, Thalia could practically see Sinbad leaning back confidently, one leg crossed over the other. How could he keep his cool alone in a room with a dangerous magician?

Falan let out a small laugh. "Just as I expected from a man like you."

"What do you mean?"

 _Yes, what_ do _you mean?_ Thalia frowned, pressing her ear more firmly against the wall. Even a magician that could see the future talked about Sinbad like he was some sort of special being. Was it pure flattery, or was Sinbad's ability to mold destiny to his will powerful enough that even Falan couldn't help but admire him?

"I've admired you since we met in Valefor's dungeon. I used that beast to test your abilities… but, reminding you of that now might just make you angry again." She let out a small laugh.

Falan had attacked Sinbad before? Was that how they knew each other?

"No, I'm not going to let that bother me after all this time."

 _Of course you wouldn't you wonderful, forgiving…_ Thalia clenched her fists, fighting back the urge to charge in and protect Sinbad from his own idealism. He'd said he didn't trust Falan either, so why was he hearing her out so calmly?

"So, what are you going to tell me you've chosen me for?"

"Yes. I've chosen you as the one who will receive the key to free us from our bonds of destiny."

Thalia caught her breath. _A key… to free humanity from destiny?_

"Falan, you're not making any sense. What are you trying to say destiny is?"

"Destiny is the flow of the great will that guides this world. In this world, there is an inevitable 'flow' that guides everything. Everything people think, feel, create… we see all of that as part of our individual wills, but we only exist within than 'flow' of destiny. That means that we can't go against the system established in this world. But what if that flow was created and dictated by someone?"

Falan was saying… everything that had happened to Thalia before she fell, all the horrible things that had happened to her, to Dinarzade, to those people who had been experimented on… someone had not only allowed it to happen but had the authority to stop it?

"It's never crossed your mind, has it?" Falan raised her voice. "Why were we born? Why must our loved ones die? Why are we forced to grieve? What if it was all because we were living false lives bound by the rules created by the system? Despite all that, are you still going to insist that we should all believe in destiny? It was created by someone. It is controlled by someone. Destiny is nothing more than a prison."

A prison… Yes, Thalia believed that. She had been a slave to a cruel system, one that had allowed her to be raped and tortured. If it hadn't been Marcus, it would have been those three men, and if it hadn't been those three men… had Kayra been right to fear for her safety? Would her father eventually have—? Or would it have been someone else? Could she trust anyone? Anyone at all? Because the system had wanted her to be abused and broken before it disposed of her once and for all in childbirth.

But if she had never had a choice, that meant none of those men had, either. They were forced into those actions by destiny. No… Thalia had made a choice. She had been able to eject herself from that system, to free herself from its tyrannical grasp. There were no excuses for what had been done to her.

Falan continued. "I can't accept a life that was decided for me. Our joy, our suffering, even our deaths are decided by 'destiny.' A world like that is something I simply will now allow. But Sinbad, you're different! You were born with a vast amount of magoi at your disposal. You can even feel 'destiny.' You're someone special! Even though you're bound by destiny, you also have the power to deviate from it. You've done it before. With Thalia."

Thalia gripped the skirts of her dress. It was true. Without Sinbad, she would still be stuck in that hellish life she'd been living before. If it hadn't been for his help, she would never have obediently followed her destiny straight into her own grave.

"What does Thalia have to do with—"

"Her sister Kayra recognized it early on, that Thalia was despised by destiny. She sought the power of the court magicians of Parthevia for help. That is how I became involved in trying to protect her, but the flow of destiny is strong, and even I could only do so much to create a counter-current. When you decided to draw her into your destiny against the will of the flow, she never had a choice, did she? But she still fought to hang on because the system made her. By offering you the opportunity to be together and convincing her that she'd been betrayed yet again, we were able to push her to the edge and convince her to reject her destiny before it was too late. We offered the ammunition, but it was you who enabled her to pull the trigger, Sinbad, because you are a singularity. The possibility of freeing this world from the bonds of destiny lies with you."

So Thalia hadn't really been betrayed? It was all part of a plan to save her life?

"I'm a singularity?" Sinbad's voice came out thin.

Yes… that's what Muu said the magi of Reim had called him too.

"You have the ability to free the world from the bonds of destiny. You've seen how things have turned around for Thalia since her fall, haven't you? I'm told she's been thriving under your care."

Sinbad's voice was barely audible when he spoke. "Thalia is… an exception. Maybe if I'm a singularity, she's the opposite of one. No matter how hard she struggled, destiny was going to drown her. I see that, but I'm not convinced that there are others like her. Now that she's free, there's nothing left for me to do." There was the sound of a chair scooting. "To be honest, the things you've been saying almost sound like the rantings of a madwoman. But, for you to know these things, I suspect you're no ordinary magician. Who are you really, Falan?"

"I am merely someone who detests destiny. I'm nothing more than a lowly member of an organization who strives to destroy destiny and return the world to its proper state."

There was an organization? Yes, Muu had mentioned that. If their goal was to overthrow destiny… Thalia could get behind that. No matter what Sinbad said, her case wasn't unique. There were children living in poverty, slaves, people with incurable illnesses. Hadn't destiny betrayed them too? There was no way she could do nothing, not when people were caught in this horrible, abusive system. It would be immoral for her to do nothing. Now that she was outside of its grasp, that had to mean something. She had a purpose and ability to do something only Sinbad was supposed to be able to do. If being able to act outside of the current made Sinbad a singularity, and Thalia was no longer restrained by it, didn't that make Thalia a singularity too?

"Sinbad, please help us free the world from destiny."

 _Sinbad… please._

He let out a low chuckle. "Alright, but not yet. As you can see, I'm busy making preparations to build my own country, but when the time is right I'll lend you my strength. Don't worry, I'll keep this discussion between the two of us."

Thalia backed away from the wall as the conversation wrapped up. Grinning from ear to ear, she imagined the two of them fighting side by side, two singularities out to free the world from its chains. It was enough to make her want to kiss him. In fact, the next time she got the chance, she absolutely would.

But first, she had promised Vittel tea.


	57. Exploration

"Sinbad, please help us free the world from destiny."

Sinbad didn't trust Falan, but he allowed her to approach him and take his hand. She could be useful, if nothing else. After all, Barbarossa and Kayra kept her close by, and he didn't trust either of them. Having a relationship with Falan might allow him to keep tabs on their movements.

"If you help us, we won't hesitate to lend you our assistance."

"Alright." He gave her a lopsided grin. Rurumu had taught him years ago that a well-timed smile was crucial to negotiations.

Falan nodded, pleased. "Just as I expected. I knew you of all people would understand."

"But not yet. When the time is right, I'll lend you my strength." This would allow him more opportunity to think about whether he intended to keep his promise. He had Thalia by his side, and she was happy. As far as he was concerned, that was enough. The rest of the ugliness in the world, he could fix by following the current. After all, the waves had carried him this far. Why should he turn back? He was beloved by destiny— a singularity. "Don't worry. I'll keep this discussion between the two of us."

It was better that way. Then, if he decided to go back on this promise, it was her word against his.

"Then, I'll take my leave." The smile fell from Falan's face. "But please remember one thing. One day, destiny will cause you to suffer. The one thing that can eliminate that possibility is your strength as a singularity. I believe you already have the knife that was given to Thalia." Her eyes darted down to where he had it tucked into his belt. "If destiny ever leads you to despair, and you wish to break free of its rules, use it. It is a metal vessel we created. It can't compare to a true djinn, but in your hands, I believe it will be able to cut through destiny. Please accept it as a symbol of our sincerity."

Then, with a final bow, Falan left the room. Sinbad sat on the couch, inspecting the dagger. As far as he could tell, Thalia had no special abilities or affinities, but with this, even she had been able to—

He shook his head. There was no use thinking about that. There was no point in thinking about any of it. He had spent his life believing destiny was driving him forward. His father's death, the horrors he had witnessed as a child when a spy from Reim had taken him hostage, even being tortured as a slave— if it hadn't been for a greater good, what was the point?

 _No._ He slammed the knife into the table, splitting the wood. He had already come this far. There was no turning back now. He had to keep moving forward.

* * *

 _To everyone in my beloved Sindria Trading Company,_

 _By the time you read this letter, my maids and I will no longer be there. I am truly grateful to you all. You sheltered us when we were being hunted and had no place to go. You admonished me when I continued to act rudely even though I knew I owed you a great debt, taught me to work hard, and welcomed me as a fellow employee. I thank you from the bottom of my heart._

 _In parting ways, I must break the hearts of all those who looked after me, but please forgive me. Just as you have things you wish to do, I have goals of my own to accomplish. That is why I must go. I pray fate will bring us together again._

 _Goodbye,_

 _Serendine._

* * *

 _6 months before the founding of Sindria_

A few days after Falan's visit, Serendine had disappeared without a word. Thalia wished she could say she hadn't noticed. After all, they rarely ran into each other, and even then, their exchanges had been limited to avoiding eye contact in the hallways. So why was it that when Thalia thought about Serendine out on her own, her stomach churned? It irritated her, the fact that she was worried. Serendine was in her past. It didn't seem right that she would still have this kind of power over Thalia.

 _Get it together, Thalia._ She shook her head, trying to focus on today's task. Amaltheia had given her permission to take on a greater workload, and Thalia was determined to contribute to the development of this country. She had arranged for a meeting with Sinbad and the others to discuss her proposal that investing in the education of citizens would ultimately benefit Sindria as a state. It had been a pet project of hers for a while now, and today Sinbad was supposed to hear out her case.

Carrying an armload of documents, Thalia trailed behind several of her coworkers as they headed to the boardroom. She juggled the necessary statistics in her mind one last time: the estimated cost for an education per household, the projected marginal benefit, the results from countries that had adopted similar policies—

From behind a pillar, a familiar hand reached out and grabbed her by the wrist, yanking her against a broad, familiar chest.

"Sin?"

He shushed her.

"What's going on?" she hissed, glancing around anxiously. "Is something wrong?"

He brought a hand to the back of her head and pulled her into a long, toe-curling kiss. Thalia melted into it, the numbers and facts she was supposed to recall rapidly dissolving into warm, fuzzy bliss. When Sinbad pulled back, it was with great reluctance that Thalia let him.

"No," he whispered. "I just missed you."

"I was literally on my way to see you." She giggled, making a feeble show of pulling away from him. When his arms wrapped more tightly around her in response, she let out an approving noise.

"There would have been people there. I can't kiss you in front of everyone." His lips pulled into a lopsided grin. "I mean, I _could_ , but you wanted to keep things quiet."

"There are people waiting for us!" She held up her stack of papers to remind him she had been on her way to a business meeting— one that _he_ was supposed to preside over.

"As your boss, I give you permission to show up late." He leaned in for another kiss, but Thalia hid her lips behind the papers.

"You're not a boss. You're a tyrant. Forcing your employees to wait while you make out with your subordinate is so unethical."

"Relax," he purred. "No one has to know."

"Everyone's going to know," she hissed, glancing around anxiously.

He laughed gently, trailing kisses down her neck. "You're the one that thinks it's fun to sneak around like this. I would gladly have you sit shamelessly in my lap while I work."

She did think it was fun. There was a sense of danger in keeping things secret like this— a nice, tolerable level. It was exciting, not terrifying. She wanted to forget her responsibilities and let him kiss her again.

"What about the meeting?" she asked as her arms wrapped around his neck.

"They can wait five minutes."

"I'm going to need a lot longer than five minutes," she whispered. Lifting herself onto the tips of her toes, she pressed her lips to his neck.

His eyebrows shot up. "Why don't we just cancel the meeting and you can give me a private presentation in my chambers."

As tempting as that sounded, the others were likely already waiting. It would be rude to not show up.

Pursing her lips, she made a counteroffer. "How about we go through with the meeting and you can have your private presentation afterward."

He let out an exaggerated sigh. "I thought I had you there for a second. Fine. Give your proposal. It's all a formality anyway. You know I can't say no to you."

His hand started to wander down her back, but Thalia caught him before he could grope her.

"I'd rather you treat me like any other employee when it comes to matters of business." She tried to muster a stern look, but it only elicited a laugh.

"You're not any other employee, though. No one else looks that cute when they're mad." His finger tapped her nose playfully.

She hummed dismissively. "I want to succeed on my own merit, not because the boss thinks I'm cute."

"Thalia," he whispered, letting her go. "I was teasing you. If anything, I'll be harder on you, so I hope you're prepared."

Swallowing, Thalia nodded. She wasn't prepared— not anymore. All the numbers had fallen out of her rattled brain once he'd kissed her. But, she no longer had time to re-memorize them. She would simply have to do her best.

* * *

"...For the aforementioned reasons, I believe providing free education to both boys _and_ girls will be a boon to Sindria's economy and allow its citizens more opportunities to innovate and prosper in their own rights.

"I'm convinced," Hinahoho stated as Rurumu nodded in unison.

"It is a logical and well-thought-out argument," Ja'far conceded, a thoughtful hand resting on his chin.

Sinbad remained stony-faced at the head of the table. Thalia shot him an expectant grin, clasping her sweating palms in front of her. If the others unanimously agreed, her argument must have been airtight. There was no way he could turn her down.

"Won't it be a waste of money?" His fingers tapped on the table impatiently. "Wouldn't it be better for children to enter apprenticeships at a young age and master their art, rather than spend their days reciting tomes?"

Thalia tried to hide her anxiety with what she hoped was an eloquent reply.

"Education consists of far more than reciting tomes. In Attica, we taught mathematics, rhetoric, literacy, and arts. If not for a combination of these skills, I would not be here speaking before you today, nor would you be in the positions you are in. The wealthy have long claimed exclusive rights to these skills, forcing less privileged children to pursue whatever may be available to them. Sometimes, that only skill is pickpocketing. What education offers is the ability to explore one's own strengths and create avenues through which to channel those strengths productively, benefiting the country as a whole."

"So you would say it's an investment?" He leaned forward, his chin resting on his interlaced fingers. His gaze was so intense she had to will herself not to look away.

"Precisely."

His lips turned downward. Her answer hadn't pleased him.

"But that begs the question, what other investments should we subsidize, then? Should we also buy the wool for the weavers, since their output benefits the country as well?"

Thalia didn't see why not, but that wasn't the answer he was looking for. He was testing her. Lifting her chin, she tried to return his intimidating stare.

"Those are two separate topics that deserve to be dealt with independently. Educating children is not the same as paying for a weaver's wool, and I know you're too intelligent to believe otherwise."

His lips twitched. She had passed.

"Fine. I have one more issue with your proposal you must address."

"And that is?"

"I was born relatively poor myself, but I managed to attain an education." He raised a hand in the air dismissively. "If these children really wanted an education, shouldn't they also be able to make that dream come true with their own efforts as well?"

"I think we can all agree that your case is an extraordinary one. The fact of the matter is, most children will never capture a dungeon and set sail on adventures with a wonderful tutor like Rurumu to help them study. Most children are completely reliant on their parents to make decisions about their future for them, and there are hundreds of reasons why a parent would not be willing or able to provide a child with an education ranging from poverty to orphanhood."

Closing his eyes, he leaned back in his chair with a satisfied grin.

"You win. I'm not heartless, after all. Congratulations, Thalia. Your proposal sounds good. We'll have you involved in drafting Sindria's educational system."

Thalia let out a deep breath. She had done it. She had verbally sparred with Sinbad of all people and come out on top. As the others crowded around her, her eyes remained on Sinbad. Silently, he beckoned to her as he slipped out of the room. It seemed he still wanted that "private presentation."

"I- um- thank you guys, but I have to be somewhere. Right now."

She raced out of the room, heart pounding in its cage. Sinbad's room had become the site of their secret rendezvous, and everything they did in there was still new to her. Still, one step at a time, she was learning to let go of her anxiety and enjoy herself.

"Go ahead and close the door, Thalia."

Sinbad was already reclining on the bed, a smug grin pulling at his lips. Thalia locked the door behind her, and when she turned back around, he motioned for her to join him. Thalia hesitated, tucking her chin down shyly. He had a couch that they usually made out on, but it seemed today, he wanted to try something a little different.

He chuckled. "Come on, Thalia. It's just a bed. I won't do anything you're not willing to."

Timidly approaching Sinbad's outstretched arms, she willed her thudding heart to still. In the silence, it would make audible the feelings she refused to put into words. She couldn't tell him how she felt. It was too soon for that. Instead, she wanted to keep exploring these _other_ feelings he'd awakened in her.

"As soon as I tell you to stop, you stop," she reminded him.

He smiled warmly, melting the last of her reservations. "Of course. You're in control here."

His arms encircled her, pulling her into his lap. When she turned her face toward his, the warmth of his breath sent chills down her spine. She didn't know if she would ever get used to these feelings, but it seemed unlikely. After all, every kiss burned like fire, consuming her with more intensity every time.

He lowered his mouth to hers, gentle and undemanding. As her fingers tangled themselves in his hair, she let out a small cry.

 _More… I'm ready for more._

He seemed to understand. As he pulled her closer, his tongue slipped into her mouth, hot and delicious. It prodded hers, and she followed his lead, flicking and stroking until he let out an appreciative moan.

 _Yes,_ she agreed silently. _It does feel good. Really good._ She never wanted it to end.

When they broke apart, Thalia fell back onto the mattress panting. Sinbad lowered himself to her side, stroking her hair.

"Can I tell you what I'm thinking?"

Thalia nodded, heat rushing to her face. Sinbad was so experienced in these things, and she'd never let him do more than kiss her with tongue. He'd probably done things she, sheltered as she was, could never imagine. But the idea of him confiding his desires to her sent a fresh wave of euphoria flowing through her. She didn't want to stay sheltered forever. It was time she started venturing out of her comfort zone.

"Go ahead. Say anything."

He smirked. "Right now, I have this fantasy that I'm your king, and you have to obey my every command."

She let out a small moan as his lips pressed into her neck. "That's… not a fantasy."

"It is for six more months." He sat up and winked. "Until then, your indulging me is entirely voluntary."

Thalia let out a breathy laugh as his hand found hers and squeezed. "You're talking like a tyrant again."

He leaned over her and nipped at her neck. "The first law I'm going to enact as king is that you're not allowed to talk back to me. I'll have Ja'far draft it as soon as I'm done with you."

"Then," She guided his hand to the fabric over her breast. This was new territory, but today she was ready to go just a little bit further. "I better keep you busy, huh?"


	58. Carpe Diem

_The day of the founding ceremony_

 _Knock knock knock._

Thalia groaned, burying her face deeper into a fluffy down pillow. It accepted her like an embrace, warm and comforting. The rest of the bed enveloped her too, a soft, silken cocoon of bliss. She didn't care who was at the door. She wasn't getting out of her new bed. She absolutely refused.

"Thalia, open up!" Dinarzade pounded on the door again. "Don't think just because you have your own room in the palace that you can start lazing around all day!"

Thalia opened one eye, observing the lack of sunlight outside her window. Why did she have to be up at this ungodly hour? "Go back to sleep! It's too early."

Muffled voices bled through the door, then the doorknob started to jiggle. Thalia propped herself up as the door swung open.

"What the hell? I'm supposed to have a guard."

"You do." Dinarzade strutted in, tossing the keys back to the man stationed at the door. "He let me in."

 _Of course._ Dinarzade had always been particularly skilled at getting her way. Why should a highly disciplined warrior tasked with protecting Thalia from intruders be an exception to her charms?

"She could have been a murderer," Thalia reprimanded him as he bowed his way out.

"Don't blame him." Dinarzade adjusted her top, drawing attention to her daring neckline. "I can be very persuasive."

Thalia snorted. It wasn't like she'd never been tempted to stare at a pretty woman, but compromising her job over one? "That's it. I'm talking to Drakon about making sure only women guard me from now on."

"We'll see if that stops me." Shooting a playful wink over her shoulder, Dinarzade began rooting around in Thalia's wardrobe.

Today was the big day: the founding ceremony. Once Sinbad was crowned king, this island would leave its identity as Attica behind and become Sindria. The knowledge that Attica, the country she both loved and despised, was forever relegated to the history books brought a heaviness to her heart. These new citizens didn't know her culture or customs. They were strangers to the land, barbarian settlers. A way of life had been lost, and that deserved to be mourned.

But, today was a day of celebration. Thalia shoved her nostalgic thoughts aside, preferring to focus on the present, like the teal blue dress Dinarzade was holding up excitedly. Its asymmetrical neckline showed off her body in a way Attican standards would never have permitted.

Slowly, Thalia approached, stretching out her hand to touch the delicate fabric. It was certainly worthy of the king's mistress. Dinarzade had made sure of that, taking Thalia to one of the most famous tailors in Balbadd to have it custom made. For Sinbad's special day, she would tolerate no imperfection. After all, the ceremony was important to him, and he was important to her.

"He's going to be speechless," Dinarzade gushed as Thalia undressed. "He's going to look at you and be so overwhelmed with love—"

'Love.'

Sinbad obviously at least liked her as more than a friend. After all, he'd kept her around this long. As to whether or not he loved her though, she was less confident. He didn't do love, did he? He was the Lady Killer of the Seven Seas, and she wasn't more special than any other woman.

"Come on, Dinarzade. It's too soon to think he might feel that way. We're taking things slow."

"You've been 'secretly' dating for almost a year."

Thalia grimaced. The fact that her secret affair was basically common knowledge at this point was a major buzzkill. She raised her arms as Dinarzade slid the dress over her head.

"If he hasn't brought it up, you've got to find a way to tell him yourself." Helping Thalia tug the dress below her waist, she continued. "Life is short. One minute, you're fretting about whether your boyfriend loves you, the next you're looking back on your life thinking about all the people you should have told you love them..." Dinarzad's bright smile dimmed. "...and it's too late."

"Dina?" Thalia tilted her head. Though Dinarzad's smile had recovered, it no longer reached her eyes. Something was troubling her. Though Thalia had mishandled the situation last time Dinarzade had been upset, this time she intended to be a good friend and listen. "Did something happen?"

Slowly, Dinarzade blinked. Then, she broke into another wide smile. "Nope! I've just decided to start seizing the day. It'd be sad if you missed the chance to say what you need to, right?"

Thalia's eyebrows knitted together. "Yes, it would be tragic, but we're so young. We don't need to think about things like that, do we?"

Thalia had been barreling toward an early death, but she was no longer bound by that destiny, and surely Dinarzade would live a long, healthy life. She was a ray of sunlight in the darkness. How would Thalia go on without her?

Taking Dinarzade's hands, Thalia said, "You and I are going to grow old together. When we're eighty years old, you're going to come barreling into my room at the crack of dawn just like this. Only, in the future, you'll be asking me to help find your dentures."

Pressing her lips together, Dinarzade nodded. "You're probably right. And, even if something were to happen, I'd want to spend these last peaceful days smiling. So…" Dinarzade gestured to the mirror. "Let me do your make up one last time?"

* * *

Thalia shifted her weight anxiously outside Sinbad's door. It wasn't too late. She could still back out.

No. Dinarzade was right. She should tell him.

Holding her breath, she knocked timidly on the door with a shaking hand. She was terrified. She'd never confessed to anyone before. What if, when she told him how she felt, he just smiled at her sadly and told her he couldn't feel the same?

As the moments seemed to drag on, she began to reason her way out of this. There was no reason she _needed_ to go through with this. Besides, he hadn't answered right away. Maybe he was still asleep. It would be rude to wake him up. Maybe—

"Come in."

 _Crap._

She popped her head in, a tight smile plastered across her face.

"How do you feel?"

He responded with a yawn while Thalia looked around the room. It was dim, lit only by the light of a single hastily lit lamp. The atmosphere struck her as similar to that of another room, at another time, with another man, one that was seared into her memory like a brand. She believed for a moment that inside, Lady Maader would be waiting to inform her of her dreaded fate. Anticipating danger, Her muscles tensed as she made her first tentative step onto the cold, marble floor.

Crossing the threshold was all it took to remind her of where she was. His pleasant, familiar scent filled the room, bringing her back to the present enough to push her unease to the back of her mind.

 _This is Sinbad's room_ , she scolded herself. She felt ashamed for conflating him with Marcus. They weren't the same. Sinbad wouldn't hurt her.

"Sin…"

"Yeah?"

"C-can we open the curtains?" she stammered weakly. "I don't like it."

He raised his eyebrows. "Why?"

"It reminds me of… you know."

That room had also been dark. The way his expression darkened told her he understood.

"Of course."

Thalia treaded over to the curtains, pulling them open and allowing the sunshine to chase away the shadows of the past. Now the room was bright, the glittering new marble slabs of the wall shining a bright white, the curtain around his bed dyed brilliant reds and blues.

She leaned against the window for a moment, overlooking the country that at one time would have been hers. Buildings gleamed white, freshly coated with plaster. The streets bustled with people from all walks of life, men and women alike free to pursue their passions and desires. Somewhere in those streets, Sappho and Amaltheia were living openly, unbound from the rigid restraints of Attican culture. Nothing she could have done for this country would have rivaled the way Sinbad had managed to revitalize it within a single year.

She turned her gaze to her future king, who was sitting in bed, shirtless, his violet hair spilling around him. Despite the fact that they'd been dating for several months now, she rarely saw him in this state. Seeing him without a shirt still made her long to explore the landscape of his exposed flesh, to navigate the hills and valleys of his abdomen or the plateaus of his pectorals.

Thus far, she had always refrained. Despite having abandoned the vestiges of her religion, she now realized that hadn't been the only thing holding her back. Once she realized she _could_ indulge in the fantasies she harbored about him, she found that she still couldn't bring herself to.

She knew why. It was Marcus. She hadn't seen him since he'd raped her, but he still haunted her. She still remembered the ripping sound of his sticky skin tearing away from her, the nauseating smell of his sweat, his repulsive moaning, the hideous faces he'd made.

Even as she cared for Sinbad, even as she wanted him, she was afraid once she became intimate with him, his skin would stick to hers, his musk would make her ill, his cries of pleasure would frighten her, his expressions would disgust her. Her fear was perhaps irrational, but the result was that so far, their physical relationship had been extremely one sided, and she'd been relatively content to leave it that way.

Patiently, though, he was assuaging her of her fear. Her eyes locked on his lips, so full and soft. They'd become familiar over the last couple of months, slowly awakening a hunger that was becoming harder to ignore. Her desire was becoming more consuming, and she still didn't know how to navigate it. Technically, she wasn't a virgin, but he made her feel like one, shy and often tongue-tied.

Sinbad noticed her hesitation and reached out to her. He was, perhaps, perplexed by her persisting bashfulness this long into their relationship, but he didn't question it. He took whatever she was willing to offer him, occasionally reminding her that he wanted more, but never demanding it.

That was why she knew she was safe with him. That was why, even as the thought that she was in _that_ room lingered somewhere in the back of her mind, she approached him, settling next to him on the bed.

That part was easy. Saying what she had come to say, however, would be a challenge.

"Thalia," he greeted her affectionately, "I was having such a nice dream, and you interrupted it." He wrapped his fingers around her arm, bringing her wrist to his lips and brushing them against it. "I trust you intend to make up for it somehow."

"If you want me to leave—" She began to stand up, desperate for any excuse not to do what she'd come here to.

"To the contrary, I was hoping you'd stay for a while." He pulled her back down, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her against his side. "Do you want to know what my dream was about? I should warn you, it was quite graphic."

"Graphic?" Thalia repeated, trying not to squirm at the proximity of his half-clothed body. "Graphic like…?"

He smirked. "Well, you were in it, and you referred to me as 'my king' and from there…" He trailed a finger up her side. "We were in the middle having a lot of fun when you knocked. Would you like to try calling me that and see what happens?"

Thalia shivered, her cheeks growing hot. She was tempted, but she had come here for a reason, and it wasn't to fool around with him.

"Sin?"

"Hm?"

His hand raised to her cheek and she sank into it, savoring his touch. Like his lips, his fingers had become familiar over the last couple of months, exploring every crevice of her body, patiently awakening a world of pleasures that had previously been unknown to her. She imagined them slipping lower, beneath her skirt, and rubbing the building tension out of her body as she straddled his lap, kissing his delicious lips, wrestling with his snaking tongue.

Snapping out of her reverie, she scolded herself. Once again, she'd let down her guard. Her purpose in coming here wasn't to let him seduce her. She had come to talk about her feelings.

She took his other hand in her own and stroked his palm tenderly with her thumbs.

"There's something I wanted to…" she trailed off, breaking eye contact. Each time she tried to look at him, his gaze grew hungrier and her face grew hotter as a result.

She bit her lip nervously, trying to steel herself to do what she had come for, but then an idea surfaced in her mind. She didn't want to explain with words, but she had made leaps and bounds expressing herself in other ways lately. She didn't have to tell him, not out loud.

For her, his touch was sacred, healing. From the time she was small, touch had been something she was deprived of. She received no warm hugs, no affectionate kisses. Sinbad had changed that. From the time they became close, his hands had worked to soothe her, to chase out the loneliness of a lifetime. Every time he affectionately tousled her hair or wrapped her arm around her, she became less hollow.

Then, she'd been raped, and she couldn't stand to be touched for months, not even by him. He had waited for her. He had waited for her to heal enough on her own that he could once again begin to satisfy her aching hunger for the kind of affection he was so good at giving, until she had forgotten what being empty even felt like. He had filled her with warmth, happiness, and love and now she was overflowing.

Her fingers tangled themselves in his hair, pulling him to her lips in a long, passionate kiss. She didn't need words. She could show him by no longer holding back. She could face her fears. She _would_ face her fears. She was ready.

In that moment, she decided: she wanted to rewrite her history with this man she loved. She would replace her terror with something warm and safe, something healing. Her first time— her _real_ first time— would be with Sinbad. Nothing else counted, not to her.

"Sin?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we…?" she struggled to finish her request, constrained by her own shyness and inexperience.

Sinbad pulled back and studied her closely. "Can we what?"

She looked away, loosening her grip on his hair. He was going to make her say it, wasn't he?

"I want to… with you…" She sighed loudly, the words refusing to leave her mouth.

"You want to be with me?" he confirmed, his eyes glittering with fond amusement.

She gave a stiff nod. "I want to go farther today. All the way."

His smile slipped, and he asked cautiously. "Are you sure that's what you want?"

This question she had no trouble answering. She met his golden eyes unwaveringly. "Yes."

That was all he needed. He buried his face in her neck, beginning with simple, seductive kisses, then throwing in a little tongue, dappling her skin with small, cool patches.

Leaning into his affectionate embrace, Thalia arched her neck with a heady sigh. She loved the warmth of his tongue, the roughness of his eager lips, and the way his broad hand gripped her shoulder before sliding down her arm, caressing her. All of it. She loved all of it, everything he did to her.

This time, she was determined to give back.

She untangled her hands from his hair, running them down his smooth neck to his broad shoulders. The motion, however chaste, elicited a shiver from her lover; his grip on her tightened, his trail of kisses pausing its migration toward her earlobe.

Perhaps she had startled him. After all, she'd never done something like this before. Her fingers had always stayed locked safely in his long hair, never daring to leave except to direct him in her own pleasure.

Today would be different, though. Slowly, she was beginning to understand that once awakening desire had been indulged, it never went back to sleep; it became a gnawing hunger that demanded regular fulfillment, and she had been starving him.

"Thalia?" He pulled back, and that gave her the space she needed to do the thing she'd been longing to do since that morning in Heliohapt when she'd awakened in his bed.

Wordlessly, she ran her hands down his chest and stomach. Strumming her fingertips along the ridges and plains, she reveled in their firm heat, basking in the small groan her touch brought from his lips. Her touch. Hers. She'd never believed they'd be together like this, that she would be the one underneath him.

Suddenly, the things which had frightened her before now flooded her with desire, filling her veins with yearning passion. She wanted to do for him everything he'd done for her and more, to hear him moan, to see his face twist with pleasure.

When she reached the spot where his bare skin dipped behind the cloth of his pants, she didn't hesitate. Her hand slid over the fabric until she felt _it,_ hard and ready.

As he pressed into her hand, Sinbad inhaled sharply through his teeth.

"You're feeling frisky today." His voice came out low, husky. "I've been wondering if I'd ever get to see this side of you."

"Your patience looks like it's paying off." She wrapped her fingers around the bulge inside his trousers, refusing to break eye contact. Her heart raced as it twitched in her hand, sparking her curiosity. It's weight was heavy, nothing like she would have expected from the nude statues she'd seen, and its heat radiated through the fabric, warm and enticing. She wanted to see it.

Sinbad bit down on his bottom lip slowly, his eyes taking on a ravenous gleam. "It does." His fingertips lightly brushed her skin as he thumbed the strap of her dress and slid it off her shoulder. "Can I?"

She nodded, sitting up with him, her shoulder pressing against his broad chest.

His hands trailed down her sides, gripping her dress at the hips before tugging it downward, exposing her breasts and stomach. With a pensive expression, he slipped his arms around her waist and began to trace one of the scars up her back.

Her shoulders hunched with apprehension. She was damaged goods. Nobody wanted a slave with scars. Surely he would realize that and—

His quiet voice broke through her insecurities.

"Perfect," he muttered. "You're perfect. Just relax and let me take care of you, okay?"

Thalia blinked away the tears that had been threatening to fall and met his eyes, giving him a small smile. She wasn't perfect. She knew how well aware of that he was, but in that moment, she felt perfect because he accepted her. Her scars and blemishes were no longer flaws. They were pieces of her story, written on the canvas of her skin, and Sinbad loved stories.

His eyes wandered from her face to her chest where his hand was now cupping her breasts, lightly brushing her erect nipple with his thumb. Letting her head dip backward, Thalia shivered and let out a moan. Such a small thing. He'd barely touched her, and she was already putty in his hands.

"You like that?" he mused, teasing the bud again and washing her with another wave of pleasure.

She nodded obligingly even though his smug expression told her that he was well-aware she was enjoying every moment of this. He was, after all, the Lady Killer of the Seven Seas. He knew exactly how to please a woman. She would have thought she'd be jealous, but now she was grateful for his experience. At least one of them knew what they were doing, and gods was he amazing.

He cocked an eyebrow. "How about this, then?"

Leaning forward, he took her nipple between his teeth and flicked it with his tongue. Hot. His mouth was so hot compared to the chill of the morning air, and the heat spilled into her, all the way to her limbs, to that wonderful, sensitive spot between her legs. All the while, his hand continued to massage her other breast, slowly, gently, occasionally running his thumb over her peak.

She clung to him as though she were hanging on for her life. His arms were an anchor, dragging her into his depths; and, washed away by his maddening touch, the fragile remains of her self-control abandoned her.

"Sin…" she panted.

He nipped at her in response. His teeth dug into her sensitive flesh, and pain and pleasure swirled together in a heady rush, forcing her to cry out. How could something that hurt feel so wonderful?

"Again," she begged, her hands wandering to his hardened back, exploring every inch of it. He was so strong, so warm. Every tiny goosebump, every fine hair, she adored all of him. "Please."

As he shifted his grip around her waist, a guttural sound tore from the back of his throat. It was so raw, so virile; it rumbled through her like thunder, sending shockwaves of ecstasy all the way to her curling toes.

Then he bit down, harder this time, and she lost herself in euphoric delirium. Pleasure shot through her, coursing through her veins, tightening every muscle in her trembling body. It wrang a moan from her lips. Loud— much, much too loud. The whole palace would hear her, but she didn't care. Nothing mattered but the man in her arms.

All too soon, she came down from her high, far from satisfied. More. She needed more of him. She would never get enough.

Her lover drew his mouth away from her breast, gasping for air as though he'd been the one drowning in her, not the other way around. His broad chest heaved, coated with a light sheen of sweat that accented every lean muscle.

Thalia inhaled deeply through her nose. Sinbad's odor was an aphrodisiac like no other. It was salty and primal, and it clouded her head, bringing forth hundreds of fantasies. Him on top of her, him underneath her, him on the floor, in the garden— him, him, _him._

Tugging on his hair, she pulled his attention back to her face. Her focus flew straight to the cocky grin spreading across his lips.

Those lips, so swollen from playing with her— they looked more delicious than ever. He was already searching for her mouth, sliding one hand up her neck and cupping her cheek.

She drew him into a heated kiss— hungry and demanding. His tongue darted into her mouth in answer, hot and seductive, stoking her desire even further. His deep, wonderful growls reverberated through her, and her mewling, pathetic responses seemed to egg him on until he drew her legs around his waist, sliding her dress up to her thighs, leaving a tingling in trail on her skin in the process.

He had to be able to feel the slickness between her legs as she hooked them around him, pulling herself closer, close enough to rub against that strip of skin above his pants. That hard lump, the one consuming her curiosity, pressed against her impatiently, sending shivers up her spine.

She was impatient too. She wanted to know what it looked like, what it felt like. Nipping at his bottom lip, she whined plaintively.

How long did he intend to tease her like this?

Her partner's throat rumbled, and suddenly she was off the bed, supported only by his firm hands around her thighs. Thalia's kisses faltered as she pulled away, looking around. Did something happen? Where was he taking her? Then her back slapped against the wall, his kisses now trailing their way back down to her neck, and she suddenly understood.

Sinbad was hot, but the wall was cold, and the chill against her sensitive back sent her arching into him with a shiver. This felt wonderful too. She had so much to learn, and he was going to teach her all of it.

"Thalia," he mumbled into the crook of her neck, grinding into her hips, rubbing sparks of intoxicating pleasure into her. He was still prodding her through the restrictive fabric of his trousers, driving her imagination wild. "Are you ready?"

"Y- es…" She gave her halting answer, running her fingers over his back. She was ready— ready for him, for _all_ of him.

He lowered her to the ground, planting one more kiss on her lips. This one was more restrained than their previous ones, gentle and reassuring. It was the kind of kiss that brought shy smiles to her lips. It was the kind of kiss she never got used to.

With no straps or bent legs holding it up, Thalia's dress fluttered to the ground, leaving her bare before her lover. How many times had he whispered in her ear how badly he'd wanted to see her like this? How many times had she fretted anxiously about how he would react when she finally let him? Why had she ever been afraid?

The way he was looking at her now, his unspoken thoughts flashing across his gentle face, washed away all her doubts. He didn't need to tell her anything. He loved her too.

"Sin…" Unbidden, his name fell breathlessly from her lips, saturated with the feelings she struggled to tell him outright. She didn't need to hide anymore, though. She didn't need to hide anything. She decided to tell him the thing she had come to say.

"I love you."

His hands slid up her arms, resting on the sides of her neck.

"I know, Thalia." His large thumb reached out to stroke her cheek. "You've always been terrible at hiding it."

Thalia cringed, averting her eyes from her boyfriend. He hadn't told her he felt the same. Maybe she'd misinterpreted the expression he'd been wearing just now. Maybe it'd just been wishful thinking.

A rush of disappointment flooded her chest. This was humiliating. Here she was literally bearing herself to him, and he still couldn't say it back. Two years. They'd known each other for two years. If he was going to fall for her, he already would have, wouldn't he? What was he doing with her if he didn't return her feelings?

At least he didn't seem to pity her. He had seemed more amused than anything, wearing that kind smile of his. This was probably the best kind of rejection she could ask for.

She dared to glance back in his direction, surprised to find that his face had taken on a solemn quality, his eyes sparking with golden intensity.

"I guess you already know how I feel, too," he said quietly. "I've never been as good at acting as you."

Thalia trembled under the weight of his words. It sounded like he was going to say…

But she was afraid to let herself jump to conclusions. She needed to hear him say it or there would always be room for doubt.

"I love you." His voice was soft and tender, just like his embrace. He had pulled her against his chest, and Thalia was glad. She didn't want him to see the happy tears his words had brought to her eyes, or the stupid grin he'd brought to her face.

Her joyous laughter filled the room until he finally pulled her back. Her giggles caught in her throat when her eyes locked once more on his lips. With three words those lips had made her the happiest woman in the world.

He loved her.

His lips came crashing down on hers like the waves of a roaring sea.

She loved him.

Her clumsy hands worked at the knot holding his pants up, the last thing preventing their union.

They loved each other.

The knot came undone, and the fabric fell to the floor.


	59. Betrayal

Thalia leaned back against Sinbad's chest, sinking deeper into the hot water of the bath. She was glowing, waves of pleasure still washing over her as she inspected the bruises between her thighs. Seeing the love-marks he had left with his mouth filled her with pride. It gave her the distinct feeling she'd been claimed, not as a slave but as a lover— _his_ lover. These were proof of his devotion, offerings left to appease the object of his worship. She felt divine.

"You keep staring at those," Sinbad observed pensively. "Was I too rough?" His hands worked to massage soap into her breasts. Those were littered with markings too. As per their agreement, any place where the bruises wouldn't be seen had been fair game.

Thalia twisted so that she was facing him. "No." Tenderly, she gave him a kiss on the neck. "I love them."

"You love _them?"_ He cocked an eyebrow. "Or the person who gave them to you?"

Giggling, she wrapped her arms around his neck. She knew he just wanted to hear her say it again. His need for attention was unending.

"I love _you,_ " she obliged him, "so I love the bruises by extension."

Seemingly satisfied, he drew her up into a kiss. Her appetite for him had been beyond satisfied back in his bed, but his sensuous lips were threatening to awaken it once more. Sighing happily, she shifted onto her knees as another ripple of pleasure sent a shiver up her spine. Her hands plunged down into the hot water, searching for his length, that wonderful thing that had stretched her in ways she'd never imagined possible. Maybe there was time for one last round before he had to get ready.

Sinbad grabbed her wrists, guiding them back to his shoulders. "You can't seriously want to go again. Aren't you sore?"

"I am," she agreed. Her body was so wonderfully sore thanks to the things he had done for her, done _to_ her, the things they had done _together._ Nothing she'd been able to do to herself even came close.

Chuckling, he nipped at her ear. "I'll tell you what. After the fireworks tonight, I'll take you back to my room and we can stay up all night if that's what it takes to make you happy."

She pressed one more kiss to his lips before sinking back into the tub and closing her eyes. "I can't wait."

* * *

Sinbad stared at his reflection in the mirror, adorning himself with the last of his kingly regalia, his goofy smile ruining the austerity of the ensemble. He looked ridiculous, but he couldn't help himself. She'd said it. She'd said the one thing he hadn't known he'd wanted so badly to hear. She loved him.

He'd always taken it for granted that she loved him. How could she not? After everything they'd been through, after how relentlessly they'd pursued one another, after the sacrifices they had made, it was obvious. He'd never even thought to bring it up because he didn't think it was important. Hearing those three words from her lips had changed his mind.

Those words were no ordinary phrase; they were an incantation with the ability to amplify the warmth, tenderness, affection, and elation she brought out in him. They had made him happier than any man should have the right to be. It was then that he understood the power behind them, and he told her what he wished he'd said sooner. He loved her too.

They had spent the next hours making love. He didn't know how long he'd spent coaxing her into a state of relaxation, stroking her hair and letting her explore, but every agonizing moment of restraint had been worth it. Just to touch her, to be touched, to finally, _finally_ act out his fantasies with her and then become a king on the same day… it almost felt greedy, like he was asking for too much. What right did he have to be so blissfully fulfilled when so many others strove for their dreams their entire lives?

He wished his parents could see him now. Had they ever imagined their little boy would become a king? That he would find someone to love the way his father had doted on his mother? If they saw him like this in his white robes adorned with rubies and that beautiful, stupid grin Thalia had given him, wouldn't they be proud?

From outside, the sounds of revelry and clanging bells grew louder, signaling that it was nearly time for him to make his speech. Taking a deep breath, he concentrated on relaxing his cheek muscles. He needed to look like a king, not a jester. Then, he stepped out of his room to where Barbarossa and King Ceylan were waiting for him.

"You clean up well," Barbarossa greeted him. "I was starting to think you were insistent on dressing like a peasant forever."

King Ceylan nodded. "Those clothes suit you. The people will be thrilled."

Sinbad scratched the back of his neck and let out an awkward laugh. "I don't know about that. This is all still so new."

"You'll get used to it." Barbarossa did an abrupt about-face. "We should get going. It will be better to arrive early and get it over with."

Sinbad hung back, glancing toward the end of the hallway where Thalia, Ja'far, and the others waited to make their entrance. "Wait a second. I'd like to talk to my friends for just a moment."

"Friends?" As he looked over his shoulder, Barbarossa's eyebrows furrowed as though he'd forgotten the meaning of the word. Turning back to Sinbad, he frowned. "Very well then. Be quick."

Sinbad walked the long, marble pathways toward his friends. His heart pounded in his chest, and he had to concentrate to prevent his feet from matching pace. This was the most important moment of his life, and all those he cherished, save for the ones that had returned to their countries at Barbarossa's request, were gathered in one spot.

Thalia spotted him first— she had been looking for him, it seemed. She whirled around, straightening her dress as she drew in a deep breath. "Sin…"

Though she had fixed her makeup and re-styled her hair, she was still thinking about earlier; it was written all over her face. When her eyes met his, she averted her gaze. Her hand reached up to brush a lock of hair behind her ear, and her lips tugged upward into a shy smile. He adored that smile. Every time he saw it, he wanted to kiss her, and today, that urge was stronger than ever.

 _Focus, Sinbad. People are watching._

Like his friends, who were standing right there. He couldn't let himself get so caught up in Thalia that he forgot about them. Drakon, Hinahoho, Mystras, Ja'far, Vittel, and Mahad were all part of the reason he was here today. If even one of them hadn't turned up in his life, he couldn't have made this dream come true. Clearing his throat, he tore his eyes away from his girlfriend and looked at them each in turn.

"Guys, you've done your best up until today. This ceremony is a big step toward changing the world. Thank you."

Ja'far nodded in agreement while Dinarzade, taking Thalia's hand, gave a fragile smile.

"It's time, Sinbad." Sinbad spun around to find Barbarossa standing with his arms crossed.

King Ceylan tilted his head forward. "With this, your country is a good friend of Parthevia. As the thirty-second emperor, I give you my word on this."

"Don't worry, Barbarossa," Ja'far's voice carried over from behind. "As you requested, the invitations to the seven seas alliance members were canceled and security will be careful during the ceremony."

Instead of responding, Barbarossa sighed, looking out the window into the crowd. "As expected. Inferior species are everywhere. None of them are worthy of our Parthevia. At this rate, the enemy forces will be walking right in."

"Inferior species?" Ja'far was surprised, and Sinbad couldn't blame him. He'd carefully avoided bringing Barbarossa around his friends because when that man talked like this…

"Yes. Inferior species." Barbarossa turned up his nose and sneered. "Ugly and lacking in intelligence. I cannot even call them humans. I thought I rid myself of them as far as I could see, but it seems they've escaped here—"

Sinbad's blood boiled until he could no longer bite his tongue. He was a king now. The people down below were his precious citizens, and he would no longer tolerate Barbarossa's fanaticism. He opened his mouth to speak when Thalia cut in.

"Have you still not grown out of that nonsense?"

Barbarossa narrowed his eyes at her. "I wasn't going to give you the satisfaction of acknowledging you, but you give me no choice. Go home, Thalia. Your sister has been worried sick, though why she would care for such a lowly piece of trash—"

"With all due respect," Sinbad loudly interrupted him. "Thalia is my citizen and _this_ is her home now. I will ask you not to speak of her in that way."

"It's fine, Sin." Thalia crossed her arms over her chest defensively. "Let him embarrass himself if he wants. I rather enjoy it."

Despite her front, the slouch that touched her shoulders told him she'd been rattled.

"The kingdom of Sindria accepts anybody. We do not tolerate discrimination here." Sinbad inserted himself between Barbarossa and his girlfriend. "Regardless of your politics, this is my country and it will operate on _my_ beliefs."

Barbarossa's lips twitched as he held back whatever retort he clearly wanted to give. No matter what he said, this was Sinbad's country. He was well within his rights to establish his own philosophy separate from Parthevia's. That had been part of the terms when setting up the special administrative district.

"I get careless with the trash and look where it gets me." Barbarossa pivoted and marched away. "One day you'll have to obey Parthevia. Don't forget the position you're in."

Thalia muttered an expletive under her breath. She still hated Barbarossa for what he'd done to her people. Sinbad suspected the only reason she had shown any restraint was for his sake.

"Thalia, are you okay?" Ja'far took a step toward her. "What he said was—"

"Nothing more than the ramblings of a fool who needs to blame someone else for his own problems." She squeezed Dinarzade's hand. "Let's not allow him to ruin such an important day." She turned her reassuring smile in Sinbad's direction. "Go out there and show him how a true leader behaves, okay?"

"I will." Sinbad held his head high. "I'm going to go out there and declare that the birth of the Kingdom of Sindria will change the world."

As the gongs rang out and the announcer called out Sinbad and Ceylan's introductions, Sinbad approached the edge of the balcony, revealing himself to the screaming crowd. Ceylan stood by him as his equal, two kings of vastly different backgrounds. From here, he could see the faces of the crowd, an elderly man, a father with a child sitting on his shoulders, a woman with her hands clasped hopefully over her breast… They stirred in him a passion of a different nature than Thalia, but still just as strong. They were his citizens, and he would protect them.

As the cheers died down, he opened his mouth to speak. "I am Sinbad. In the past, I have been known for traveling the seven seas. Thanks to Ceylan, I was gifted these lands and have been able to build the Kingdom of Sindria. This country is unique because it was created from the efforts of a company. This is a country whose existence is centered around trade, and as a result, the social status of its citizens is irrelevant. Everyone here is free! Free to choose your own paths! In this world, a country exists where we can all coexist without conflicts!"

As Sinbad raised his fist in the air to end his speech, pain flared in his head. It was as though an ax had been driven into his skull, tearing it in two. He grimaced. Something was wrong. It hurt. What was happening? Was he dying? The world flashed white, and then…

* * *

"But how well will that really go?"

"Sin?" Thalia took a hesitant step forward. He hadn't rehearsed this part of the speech, not around her. What the hell was this? How could he do something this reckless without at least telling her?

"Think about it. No matter how much this country insists on preaching equality and freedom, nothing will ever change as long as there is an existence that threatens the world. What if, by chance, it was in Parthevia? That person, for his own selfish reasons, assassinated the emperor."

Thalia looked to Ja'far for help. This didn't sound like Sinbad. He believed in peace at any cost. What was he saying now? Since when did he care so strongly about what had happened to Serendine's father?

"He ended the royalty and bureaucracy, taking away the authority of the palace! He made the country's system go down! All of this so he could take over! And now that person has power in his hands! He's trying to control Parthevia!"

"Sin, what are you saying?" Ja'far looked to her, and she realized he knew as little about this as she did.

Something was wrong. Thalia lunged forward, trying to stop him from finishing his speech. She crashed into a pair of spears as two guards prevented her from approaching.

"Sinbad, don't do this," she told him, just loud enough that the audience wouldn't hear. As the guards roughly pinned her arms behind her back, she struggled against them. Their weight pressed down on her, and the stone scraped through her dress, tearing at her skin. She didn't give up. He had to be stopped no matter the cost.

"What about your dream?" she cried. "Are you throwing that away so easily?"

… because it sounded like…

"And that person is the president of the National Independence Party! Barbarossa!" He pointed toward her mortal enemy sitting in the box for the guest of honor. "You are the source of evil and a foul enemy of my country!"

...a declaration of war.

"Sin!" Ja'far had gotten farther than Thalia had, but Sinbad ignored his attempt to pull him away from the balcony, continuing the tirade.

"And that's not all! This man has been conducting purges against massive numbers of citizens! This evil has already spread from the royal palace and affected the citizens! I cannot excuse a tyrant any longer! I cannot entrust Parthevia to a killer! If this isn't stopped, world peace will never be reached."

"We had a plan to deal with him!" Thalia kicked one of the guards as he pinned her face to the ground. "Why are you doing this?"

"So I'm making the declaration now. The legitimate heir to the throne is the last person in the royal family's lineage." He roughly put his hand on the small king. "So King Ceylan and I will defeat the enemy Barbarossa! We will return Parthevia to what it was! I promise to create a new Parthevian Empire!"

As his speech wrapped up, the guards let Thalia go. The crowd burst into a chant hailing the new Parthevia, but Thalia ignored them. She rushed to Sinbad's side, only to have her path blocked by more armored men.

"Let me through!" she demanded. "This is my country as much as it is his! Let me _through!"_

Sinbad glanced over his shoulder and frowned. "Take her and Ceylan somewhere safe. Don't let them leave until the war is over."

"I demand you let me go!" Thalia stomped a guard's foot as he began to lug her away. "I didn't give you my blessing so that you could throw everything away like this! Sinbad!"

"I'm sorry, Thalia. It's for your own good."


	60. Goodbyes

When Sinbad opened his eyes, the room was swimming. Around him, he could make out the concerned forms of his friends hovering over him and the ceiling of a room indoors. Where was he? Hadn't he been making a speech outside? There had been a crowd of hopeful citizens cheering for the new country. They had brimmed with hope and enthusiasm. As his eyes focused, he took in the faces of the people around him. Mystras sat on the side of his bed, his face contorted with worry. Standing to the side, Rurumu and Hinahoho exchanged uncertain glances. Vittel's gaze was cast to the ground, and Ja'far's lips pulled into a thin line. This was not the atmosphere he would have expected.

Something was wrong. He shot up as soon as he realized it. His hand grasped his forehead as the muscles between his brows pulled together. _Remember… remember._ He _had_ been giving a speech, he was certain. The ceremony had been going smoothly, and then… what happened? Why was he here? Had he passed out? Was that why everyone looked so grim?

"What… Why am I in bed? What happened to the founding ceremony?"

"Are you serious?" It was Ja'far's voice. Why did he sound so angry, like some kind of feral animal? That wasn't like him, not anymore. Sinbad rubbed his forehead, trying to clear the fog that had settled over him. If he could just figure out what was going on, maybe he could fix whatever was wrong. "Do you not remember you declared a revolution?"

Sinbad's stomach flopped. Suddenly, he imagined it was one of the fish he used to catch with his father, flopping wet and frantic on the dock, its glassy eyes gazing up at a threat it couldn't understand. He had declared war?

"Huh? I don't remember doing that…" Why _would_ he? It went against everything he believed.

Ja'far seethed. "You had Thalia apprehended when she tried to stop you! Why did you do that Sin?"

 _Thalia…_ The rush of memories from this morning flooded him. That profound, almost religious moment they'd shared in this same room. The warmth thoughts of her brought to him welled up his stomach, mixing with shame, fear, and confusion to create a sickening stew. If it was true, if he had done what Ja'far was accusing him of, what must she be thinking right now? Running his fingers through his hair, he glanced at Ja'far.

"Thalia… is she okay?"

An unexpected voice answered. It was Serendine's. "Thalia's fine. Angry, but fine."

Sinbad glanced in the direction of the door, where she had positioned herself with her head held high. Her armor, black as night, was new. It looked expensive, and in the back of his mind, he questioned where she had managed to procure something so expensive as a fugitive. But, he ignored that thought. Seeing her safe was a relief. He flashed her a fragile smile, as if to say "welcome home," but when she looked back at him, her eyes were cold.

"You're wondering what happened to you, right? Do you remember when a year ago, while Thalia was engaged, I requested a djinn equip battle?" She crossed her arms over her chest. "You thought you won, but that's when I put you under Zepar's control. I've been using it to spy on you."

Her words added two more ingredients to the vile potion sloshing around in his stomach: betrayal and violation. She had used him, invaded his privacy— his very _mind_ so that she could act out her sick revenge fantasy? How frequently had she been checking in on him? This morning when Thalia had trusted him… or any of the other times… how often had Serendine witnessed those private moments? A wave of nausea washed over him as he realized she probably had, in fact, witnessed at least one of their encounters. Those moments that Thalia had trusted him to keep private, they had been compromised because of him. He had unwittingly spilled her secrets _and_ his own.

His hands clenched the blanket in his lap, and he repeated her words incredulously, hoping he'd misheard. "You've been spying on me?"

Serendine's lips twitched upward. "Spying is only one of Zepar's abilities. Today I used one of the others. I took control of your body and gave the speech you _should_ have given. I even used Baal's power against Barbarossa."

Sinbad wished he would throw up and purge himself of the roiling emotions and nausea that just kept building inside him. Just like that, she had taken control of his body and used it however she pleased, and for such a vile purpose, too. She had made him declare war. _His body—_ the one thing he had complete dominion over, the one place he'd never imagined would be violated like this. If he couldn't feel safe inside his own skin, where could he?

"That was you?" It was Ja'far, and his reaction only made her confession seem more real.

Back. Sinbad wanted to go back— back to this morning, with the girl of his dreams in his arms. With her, he felt safe and whole. She was the one person who had seen him through his darkest moments. Even if she couldn't undo what had happened today, having her by his side would make him feel safe, maybe even whole again because right now, he was shattering. He was shattering, and he was going to break.

"Thalia." His voice came out hoarse. "Where's Thalia?"

"I doubt she wants to talk to you." Serendine frowned. "The guards were pretty rough with her when you had them drag her away. Besides, she and my brother are well-protected where they are. You're not going to want her anywhere near what happens next."

"Next?" Sinbad's breath caught. This time, rage boiled inside him. "What do you mean 'next?'"

She looked away, her gaze remaining impassive. "My original plan was to kill Barbarossa on the spot. He got away, so now we have to set the contingency plan in motion."

Beads of sweat rolled down Sinbad's forehead, his back, his arms. "Do you have any idea what you're saying? You used me for your own selfish gains and threw my country into a revolution."

"You should be thanking me." Serendine narrowed her eyes at him. "This war was going to happen whether you wanted it or not. Do you think Barbarossa would just sit by idly while you harbor the people he's trying to eradicate? That he won't notice you're fucking one of them?" Another pang of nausea rolled through his stomach at the confirmation that she had seen what he and Thalia had been up to in private. "I made you a revolutionary instead of a martyr."

"You know," he said through gritted teeth, "You _know_ how everyone feels about this country! We put hard work and sweat into this! Does that mean nothing to you?"

"I have other things I need to protect."

"Let me guess. Ceylan and Thalia." She'd used the family excuse when she'd told him about her involvement in the death of Thalia's father too. He'd bought it at the time, but how many more people did she plan to kill "for Thalia's sake?"

"And you." Serendine's gaze softened, and her voice was quiet. She gave him a look that he didn't quite understand and didn't care to. It was too much. How dare she pretend she was doing any of this for him. He lunged out of bed, grabbing her by the collar of her silk shirt. "Cut the crap! You're doing this for yourself!"

She remained unflinching, not so much as blinking.. "Maybe I am. Either way, what are you going to do about it? Barbarossa already returned to Parthevia and began military preparations. In a couple of days, his army will get here. It will take longer than that to get word to the members of your alliance. Are you really going to send away a valuable military asset like me? Or maybe you intend to kill me and offer my head to Barbarossa as a truce." Raising her rapier, she plunged it into her chest. Sinbad dropped her to the floor, his limbs refusing to act. He should help her. She had hurt him, but this was Serendine, his friend.

"However, I should warn you that is impossible." Serendine's blood began to turn black. It writhed and pulsated before reversing course, flowing back into the wound and leaving no evidence of an injury, not even a scar.

"Your wound…" Sinbad gaped at the smooth white skin of her sternum. "...it healed."

"Exactly. I'm not a human anymore. In order to achieve my deepest desire, I have given up even my human body." Approaching him, she grabbed his shoulder roughly. "Sinbad! Fight by my side! Help me defeat Barbarossa! Otherwise, this country won't survive!"

Sinbad took a step back. He didn't want to help her. Why had things turned out like this? Why…?

Serendine's frown deepened. "If you refuse, I'll simply use Zepar on you again. You have no choice but to fight."

Sinbad pressed his palm to his forehead, searching for any way out of this. He couldn't let Serendine violate him, not again. But how could he allow her to manipulate him? Wasn't there a third option? Some other path he could take?

To his relief, a soldier barged in. Perhaps she would buy him time to think.

"Excuse me, Miss Serendine!"

Serendine let go of his shoulder. "What is it?"

"News just arrived. Barbarossa has officially declared war against the Sindiran Kingdom. They've mobilized much faster than we expected. The first troops will arrive shortly."

No… His legs threatened to give out underneath him. Everything he'd worked toward, his _dream,_ Serendine had taken it from his grasp so thoroughly. The only thing left for him to do was fight. He had no choice.

"Also…" The soldier shifted her weight anxiously. "...there's a woman here. She's demanding to see Thalia."

A woman…? Maybe it was Dinarzade?

Serendine's lips pulled into a tight line. "Send her away."

"About that…" The soldier glanced over her shoulder. "You should see this for yourself."

They dashed out of the room, following the corridors toward the reception hall in the front. As they approached, Sinbad picked up on the sound of agonized screams and, rising above them, Kayra's distinct voice.

"Where is she! Where is my sister!"

She sounded livid. Her soft, lyrical tone was now raw and forceful. As for the other voices, he could only hazard the guess that she was terrorizing a group of Serendine's soldiers. His heart hammered in his chest. Somehow, the idea that she was capable of such a feat was less surprising than it should have been. She was one of the most intimidating women he'd met, and knowing the lengths she'd gone to in order to protect Thalia before, Sinbad could only imagine what she would do to him once she learned Thalia was locked away by orders that had come from his mouth.

His stomach heaved, but he pushed himself forward anyway. There was still a chance he could talk her down. He just needed to convince her that siding with him would keep Thalia safer.

Sinbad, Serendine, and the soldier skidded to a halt when they reached the hall. They'd found the cause of the screams. Several dozen guards were pinned against the walls by black, undulating beams which emanated from a tome in Kayra's hands. Her dark hair stirred as though by an invisible wind. Her cold eyes turned to Sinbad and Serendine.

"Where is Thalia?"

Serendine's face remained placid. "Meyers, why haven't you killed her?"

The soldier named Meyers took in a shaky breath. "Lady Serendine, I—"

"Go ahead. Try." The beams spasmed, and the guards' screams grew louder. "Which do you think is faster? Your inborn magic or my magic tool? Now, take me to my sister before I kill every one of your pathetic friends."

"We can't let her in," Serendine said. "She's loyal to Barbarossa. We'll just have to take the losses."

Meyers hesitated. "She has my brother."

"Then you know the pain of having your sibling held hostage!" Kayra scowled. "Take me to Thalia!"

"Meyers," Serendine gave her a sideways glance. "When your brother joined these forces, he was prepared to throw away his life for Parthevia. Do it."

Meyers drew in a deep breath and raised her whip with a trembling hand. Closing her eyes, she prepared to deliver a blow. The screams grew more desperate as Kayra strengthened the intensity of her spell.

Sinbad fought back a tremor. He was about to witness another massacre. Did he have to tolerate this too? What was the point of being a king if he couldn't protect anyone?

No, he needed to take back control. Barbarossa's army was on the way, and if he was going to have a chance of coming out on top, every one of those soldiers would be necessary for the battle. As a merchant, he had managed to gain the upper-hand in hundreds of negotiations. Dealing with Kayra was no different.

"Hold on," Sinbad held up his hand. "I have no choice but to work with you, but I never agreed to let you call the shots, Serendine. I won't just let you do what you want anymore. Where is she?"

Serendine narrowed her eyes at him. "I still have Zepar inside your mind, you know."

How could he forget? Knowing that he had been violated in that way felt like he was covered with a layer of grime he could never wash off.

"I don't intend to run or hide. I can handle Kayra. Go back to the others and tell them we're going to fight."

Serendine drew up as though trying to appear taller. "Fine. Thalia and Ceylan are locked away in the central tower. It will be the safest part of the palace in the event of a siege."

Closing the tome, Kayra released the soldiers. Their armor clattered as they hit the ground. One by one, they sat up groaning. Sinbad let his shoulders slump just a little. It was a relief to see they appeared relatively unharmed and ready to fight.

As Serendine marched away, Kayra stormed up the stairs, her heels clomping hard with each step. When she reached Sinbad, she cast him a withering look. "If you think I will ever forgive you for dragging her into this situation…"

"Your fiance is on his way to kill everyone on this island including your sister," he reminded her sternly. "I don't think you want to toss around blame right now."

Sinbad pivoted and charged toward the center of the palace. There was no time for apologies. Surviving the oncoming war was his first priority. He would simply have to let Thalia and Kayra blame him for this mess and hope he could fix things later.

"He's not my fiance anymore," Kayra answered through gritted teeth.

Several guards had positioned themselves in front of the entrance. When they saw their king approaching, they exchanged glances before stepping aside. Sinbad heaved open a wooden door and marched up the winding stone staircase to the highest point in the palace. At the top, Falan and Judar were stepping out of one of the bedrooms.

"I wanna see Thalia," Judar whined. "Just let me peek! I wanna see if she's fallen into depravity yet!"

"That's enough." Falan clapped her staff to the ground firmly. They stopped arguing as they caught sight of Sinbad and Kayra.

"What are you two doing here?" he demanded. The guards positioned in front of the room across the hall snapped to attention, ready to obey his orders.

"I'm Serendine's magi." Judar waved his wand impatiently. "I'm here because I followed her. Are you an idiot?"

"Falan." Kayra slinked past Sinbad, her words slow and controlled. She raised the tome back to her stomach, preparing to open it. "What is your involvement in this mess?"

"We are simply collaborators who favor this change," Falan answered. "I am a royal court mage. Barbarossa's tyranny has turned this country into something terrible. I cannot stand by and allow that to happen."

Her matter of fact tone made her confession no less unsettling. She had been working with Serendine? Then, she had used him too? His jaw tensed until his teeth ground against one another. Was there anyone who wasn't part of this scheme?

"Please allow me to assist—"

He cut her off. "Do what you want. I don't have time for this. Where's Thalia?"

"In here, your Majesty." It was one of the guards that spoke. He stepped aside, unlocking the door before pushing it open. Sinbad motioned for Kayra to wait outside before turning his head to find his girlfriend sitting up straight on the edge of the bed. She stared at the doorway, unblinking, her lips pulled into a sour frown.

"Thalia," he acknowledged her. His voice came out more distant than he had intended.

Rising to her feet, she lifted her cold gaze to his. "Sinbad."

He swallowed. "About what happened earlier… I don't have time to explain, but later—"

"It better be a good explanation, Sin." She ran a hand through her hair and studied the carpet. "I keep trying to think of an explanation that makes sense. The only conclusion I've been able to come to is that you led me on with false promises of peace and hope, took my country and fucked me, then decided to show your true colors."

Her words stung. The idea that she would come to that conclusion so easily after everything they'd shared stabbed him like a knife in the chest. When had he ever given her reason to doubt him before today. Shouldn't she know him better by now?

"I would never—"

She didn't let him finish. "You think I'll lay down and take it, right? That I'm so desperate for companionship, I'll come crawling back no matter what you do?" Her voice caught in her throat. Her eyes were bloodshot, rimmed with smudged eyeliner. Her dress, which had looked so beautiful on his floor this morning, was filthy and torn in several places. Her voice and body trembled, and she looked as broken as he felt. He had to set things right. There was a war coming, and realistically, there was a strong chance they would die. If this was the last time he saw her, he wasn't leaving until he could burn her smile into his memory one last time.

"You really believe I've been faking this whole time?" He took a step toward her to embrace her, pausing when she wrapped her arms around herself and started pacing.

"You wouldn't be the first. I mean, look at me." She threw her arms up, gesturing to her disheveled state. "What would someone like you want with someone like me? I should have known it was too good to be true. I should have known—"

"I _am_ looking at you, Thalia. I have been for a long time, and do you know what I see?"

She paused in her tracks, and he took the opportunity to close the distance between them. His hands lifted to smooth out her wild hair. "I see the girl who didn't hesitate to accept her childhood friend when she realized he had turned into a dragon." Next, his thumb worked to wipe the smudged kohl from her cheeks. "I see the girl whose cleverness saved me and dozens of other children." Her breathing hitched as he ran his fingers down her sides, gently tugging the wrinkles out her dress. "And today, I see a woman who's fought through wave after wave of defeat and never surrendered."

She averted her gaze. "They're beautiful words, but they're empty."

Even in the time he'd known her, Thalia had been burned and betrayed more times than Sinbad could count. Her wariness was far from unexpected, but it still stung.

"They're not." He stepped back to a respectful distance. "And if we survive this, I'll spend every day proving it. I'll start by instructing the guards to let you come and go freely. If you want to fight—" His voice caught in his throat. He couldn't finish the sentence. No matter how hard she'd worked over the last year, she wasn't ready for a war. Her eyes remained trained on the floor, and, unable to say anything more, he turned to leave. His boots clomped on the tiles, heavier with every step. The woman he loved no longer trusted him, and his country had been dragged into a war. She wouldn't stay here if she had a choice. He knew her well enough not to expect anything different. He was, in all likelihood, going to lose her. As his hand reached for the doorknob, her voice stopped him.

"Don't go."

He whirled around. He must have looked desperate, but he didn't care. They locked eyes, and he studied the worry lines that had etched themselves deeply into her brow. She opened her mouth to speak once more.

"I want to believe you that there's an explanation for all of this." Slowly, she approached him. "Even if there's not, even if this is all an act, I want to pretend just a little bit longer. If we never see each other again…" She placed her hand on his chest. Her fingers spread out over his thudding heart, and she tilted her head as though studying the way her palm fit flat against his ribcage. "I want you to tell me one last beautiful lie."

He gave a quiet, patient laugh. She was as stubborn as ever. "I can't lie to you, and you know it."

Her eyes drifted up his neck, tracing the line of his jaw before settling on his lips. She swallowed before confessing, "I know."

He didn't bother asking why she was struggling to believe him if that was the case. A part of him already understood, better now than ever. She was terrified of being wrong, of being caught off guard. Today's events had left her uncertain.

He leaned forward, and she pressed her mouth to his. The kiss was gentle. It lingered like the dying embers of a campfire, hot and red. It held the potential to set an entire forest ablaze, but it didn't. It died as they parted, leaving him cold and hollow. It had been a "good luck" and also a "goodbye."

"I should go," he whispered. "I love you."

She opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out but a strangled noise. Instead, she took his hand and squeezed. She loved him too.


End file.
